


The Road Back Home

by slytherin_lannister



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/M, Pre-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-17
Updated: 2014-05-13
Packaged: 2018-01-17 21:36:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1403275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherin_lannister/pseuds/slytherin_lannister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>25-year-old Holly Morrison is famous in her small hometown of Wyatt, Georgia for leaving. She goes where the wind takes her, but the wind always brings her back to Wyatt eventually....</p><p>UNDER CONSTRUCTION</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note: The town in which the story takes place is entirely fictional, so if you look for it on a map, it won't be there. But if you're curious (and in case it never comes up) the town is between Buford and Gainesville.
> 
> Also, the ages are not necessarily cannon. For example, Daryl is 26 in the story.

The mid-August Georgia heat was suffocating. It was certainly better than South America, but it was no picnic. Holly Morrison wiped the beads of sweat forming over her eyebrows and pulled the bakery door open. A burst of cold air hit her full in the face and she sighed in relief. Her mother smiled at her from behind the counter as she approached. "Well, you're lookin' tan and lovely." Holly smiled. She was tired, having arrived home the previous day from Brazil.

Holly clocked in for the first time in a year and went to work decorating a cake with her cousin Nicky. "So, how was South America?" Nicky asked, piping a rose onto one corner of the cake. "Amazing," Holly answered, absentmindedly piping a rose on the corner nearest to her. Holly spent the next twenty minutes talking about her time in Chile. Nicky listened and asked questions here and there. Holly knew she would be telling the same stories for a long time. A few minutes later they heard the bell above the door. They both strained their ears to listen, Nicky keeping an eye on the timer.

"Merle Dixon," they heard the man say. The timer dinged, making Holly jump. Nicky grabbed a couple of dry towels and took the oversized chocolate chunk cookies out of the oven. "Ah, just put ' _Happy Birthday Daryl_ ' on it." "What color?" Holly's mother asked in a flat tone. She was all business with Merle Dixon. "Don't suppose it matters," Merle replied. "Is this a delivery or will you be picking it up?" There was a short pause. "Better make it a delivery." He left his address and phone number and the bell chimed once more over the door. Holly's mother pushed through the doorway into the kitchen and set down her note pad. "Merle Dixon wants a rectangular, vanilla sheet cake with buttercream frostin' that reads, ' _Happy Birthday, Daryl_ ' in any color I choose," she told them. "He needs it Friday and it's delivery. I told him we'd have it there by one o'clock." "What're you all tense about?" Holly asked. "I'm not," her mother replied defensively. "Okay," Holly said, trying not to grin.

Holly and Nicky continued baking whatever Holly's mother had assigned them to bake. They had already done two dozen chocolate chunk cookies and had moved on to vanilla cupcakes. As Nicky was sliding the cupcakes into the oven, Holly's mother returned. She had put on an apron and looked much happier. "I've got to bake the cake for Kenny's birthday. Holly will you deliver it to your daddy's office at one?" Holly nodded. "Sure." "Good. Nicky, I'll need you to run the register since we're short handed." Nicky took her apron off and went out to the front. When she was gone, Holly spoke.

"Why are we short handed?" she asked. "Lauren has the day off and Sandra had a doctor's appointment this morning for her ankle." "Oh." They were quiet for a few minutes. Holly watched her mother carefully mix together the ingredients for what would be Kenny's birthday cake. It was French vanilla and it smelled delicious, even before it was in the oven. "Your daddy is looking for a new roofer," her mom said, breaking the silence. "Oh? Did Travis finally quit?" Her mother smiled a little and gave her a glance. "No. Ricky did." Holly's jaw dropped. "Seriously? But he's been there forever!" Her mother shrugged and focused her eyes on her work. "He decided to finally go back to school for computers." Holly couldn't believe it. "So, has daddy talked to anyone yet?" Her mother nodded. "A couple of guys. He doesn't think they'll work out. He's got someone comin' in today, I don't know who." Holly smirked. "Is that why you're sendin' me? So I can find out." Holly's mother pursed her lips. "No. I know your daddy wants to see you."

A little after one o'clock Holly pulled into the parking lot of Morrison's Construction and Remodel, INC. She had driven her beat up old Nissan, despite her mother's protests. She parked and went around to the passenger side for the cake. She made it safely into the break room and set the cake on the table, then asked the secretary to let her dad know she was there with Kenny's cake. A moment later, Pam the secretary, came back and told Holly to go into her dad's office. As she came in, a boy she'd gone to school with - Todd Baxter - came out. He smiled at her and thanked Pam as he left.

Holly entered her father's office with a smile. "Hi, Daddy," she said. He came around the desk to hug her. "Hey, sweetheart. So you brought Kenny's cake?" "French Vanilla with a buttercream frosting." Her dad grinned. "Good, good. The boys'll be back for lunch shortly. You'll stay for lunch and cake, won't ya?" "Of course." That made her dad's grin widen. "Good. I'll send Pam for your favorite down at the Cowboy Cafe." As if on cue, Pam knocked. "Come in." She opened the door and smiled. "Mr. Dixon is here for his interview." "Send him in." Holly had to force herself to shut her mouth. When Mr. Dixon walked in, she bit her lip to keep from giving away her surprise. "Oh, and Pam. I got the lunch orders." He handed her a sheet of paper and a plastic card. "Get yourself whatever you like and Daryl will have..." "Oh, no, I'm okay." "I insist, son." Holly's father gave him a stern stare and Daryl's cheeks turned pink. "Just a cheeseburger, please," he relented. Pam wrote it down and left.

Daryl Dixon was dressed in a way that Holly had never seen. She remembered him wearing a lot of camo, dark colored jeans, and black in high school. Today he wore pristine khaki pants, an ironed, blue button down, and brown dress shoes. He looked at Holly and his eyes widened. Holly almost didn't catch it. He shook hands with Holly's dad and smiled awkwardly at Holly. She smiled back, still biting her lip. "You know my daughter Holly?" Daryl seemed momentarily speechless, but nodded. "Um, yes, sir. We went to school together." "Of course, of course. Now, tell me, son, have you ever done any roofin'?" Daryl glanced at Holly again. "Um, no, sir, I haven't." Holly stood. "Where you runnin' off to?" her dad asked. "I'll wait for you outside. You said the boys would be back soon."

She stepped outside as her father asked Daryl more questions. Moments later she could hear her dad laughing his deep belly laugh and smiled. She loved her daddy's laugh. She even heard a nervous chuckle or two from Daryl and a warmth spread over her skin. She had no real explanation for the sensation. A few minutes passed and she listened to the muffled voices in the office. By fifteen after one, she heard trucks pulling into the parking lot. As the boys walked in, the office door opened and Daryl walked out, followed by Holly's dad. "Pam should be back shortly with lunch. Y'all can head on into the break room."

They all headed into the large break room, including Daryl, and gathered around the table, laughing and talking. "You didn't tell me you were back!" Travis exclaimed. Holly shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I just got back yesterday," she said. "You wound me, Holly." She rolled her eyes again and scoffed. "You're barkin' up the wrong tree, kid," her dad laughed. Travis sighed dramatically. "A shame," he said.

They decided to have cake first while waiting for Pam. They sang a loud rendition of 'Happy Birthday' for Kenny and he cut the first piece. Holly sidled her way over to Daryl as casually as possible. "You look nice," she told him. "Oh, thanks," he replied awkwardly. She smiled. She didn't know what else to say so she settled for eating cake and occasionally glancing at him. He smelled like Old Spice and stood at least eight inches taller than her. Despite the fact that he had been a year ahead of her at school and they hadn't run in the same social circles, Holly had always found Daryl Dixon fascinating. He never failed to catch her attention, even though he clearly had never tried to.

They were just finishing with cake when Pam returned with their lunch. Holly had a grilled cheese and fries. She ate in relative silence, going around and socializing only after she'd finished. "Happy birthday, Kenny!" she said, approaching the older man with a smile. Kenny had worked for her dad for as long as Holly could remember. "Thank ya, darlin'. And tell ya mama I appreciate the cake. It's wonderful." Holly smiled. "I will."

At two o'clock the boys had to get back to their jobs and Pam returned to the front lobby to take and return calls. Holly's dad offered to see her and Daryl out. "Daryl, it was good talkin' to ya, son. I look forward to seein' you on Monday." "Thank you for lunch, Mr. Morrison." "Call me Jeff. It was my pleasure." They shook hands. Daryl smiled awkwardly at Holly and gave her a little wave before returning to his truck. "He's a good kid, I think. I see potential in him." A warm breeze blew through Holly's long, chestnut colored hair. "Me too," she said. She hugged her dad. "I better get back. I'll come see you soon though." "Okay. I love ya." He squeezed her. "I love you too, Daddy."


	2. Chapter 2

"What's _your_   problem?" Merle spat as they sped out of the parking lot. Daryl's jaw clenched. "I ain't got a problem," he lied through gritted teeth. "Sure seems like you got a problem," Merle pushed. Daryl chose to keep his mouth shut and not let his brother get under his skin. His mind wandered to Holly. Her brother had been in the same graduating class as Daryl, though they weren't friends. Holly had been a freshman, he thought. They weren't in the same social circles, but he caught her staring at him all the time. "Earth to Daryl." Daryl scowled at his brother. "What?" he growled. "I asked you what you gotta do that's so important you had to rush me out the store." Daryl shrugged. He didn't actually have anything to do, except maybe try to find a new job, but he wasn't too keen on telling that to Merle.

Merle sneered. "You got a hot date or somethin'?" Daryl rolled his eyes. "Nah, no one wants to fuck you but your right hand..." "Good one," Daryl grumbled sarcastically. "You goin' huntin'?" Merle asked. Daryl sighed. "I lied, happy? I got tired o' haulin' your ass around, wastin' _my_   gas so you can sell them fuckin' pills. Why don't you get a real job?" he exploded. Merle laughed dryly. "What, like you? Oh yeah, you don't got a ' _real job_ ' either," Merle mocked. "I would have if you quit comin' in and startin' shit with everybody." Merle rolled his eyes. "Anything else you wanna blame me for instead o' takin' responsibility?"

Daryl stopped at a red light and gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles went white. "Don't act like it ain't your fault I got fired from the last three jobs I had. You're the one who gets bored sittin' on your ass all day so you gotta come down to my work and pick a fight with someone for lookin' at you funny." He didn't really see a way Merle could deny it. His boredom had cost Daryl three jobs in a year and a half. He was running out of options; no one wanted to hire him for fear of Merle disturbing the peace and Daryl only had a high school diploma. The light changed and Daryl stepped on the gas.

Merle was silent the rest of the way back to their cabin in the woods. Daryl pulled into the drive and parked the truck. He climbed into the bed of the truck and tossed the dog food down to Merle. "Ya know, I don't see why you need a job anyway." Daryl jumped down harder than he meant to and grit his teeth against the shooting pain in his ankle. "We've been over this. Jobs are how normal people get money." He started for the house but Merle blocked his path. "What the hell you need money for anyway? You ain't got a woman. You ain't got no kids. You ain't got shit but me. We get all the food we need from the woods. What few bills we _do_   have, my drug money covers. So tell me, what's the point?"

Daryl almost laughed. "Yeah, I see why you didn't graduate high school." Merle got right up in Daryl's face. "And what's _that_   supposed to mean?" Daryl stuck his chest out, refusing to be intimidated by his brother. "It means you're an idiot. Don't you think it looks awful suspicious that we buy gas and have power and runnin' water if neither of us has a job? Wyatt's a small town. People notice things. People talk. And everybody knows about you and the strip clubs and the bars and the hookers. How you gonna explain payin' for all that if neither of us got a job?" Merle grinned. "Dad's social security," he answered. "Ha! You honestly think that check could pay for all that? How much you pay them whores to fuck you anyway? I imagine it's a pretty steep price to make 'em ignore your ugly face!"

Merle socked him right in the eye. He knew he shouldn't retaliate, that having one black eye would be bad enough, but he couldn't let Merle get away with hitting him. So he punched back. Within seconds the two of them were rolling on the ground fighting for the upper hand. Merle socked him a few more times before Daryl finally threw him off and pinned him down. Merle laughed as Daryl punched him until his knuckles bled. When he stood up, Merle was out of breath and bleeding from his nose and a cut in his lip, the right side of his face already beginning to bruise. "Not bad, little brother," Merle wheezed. "Go to hell." Daryl left him in the front yard.

The screen door slammed behind him. His dad looked up from the TV. "Where y'all been all day?" he grunted. There was a beer in his right hand and a spit bottle in the left. "Runnin' errands." Will Dixon coughed until something came up. Daryl wrinkled his nose and went to the kitchen. "Bring me another beer, boy!" his father rasped. "You ain't finished the one you got." "I wasn't askin'." Daryl ignored him. He couldn't do anything. He had an oxygen tank and stage IV lung cancer. So Daryl pulled out the stuff to make a sandwich. He heard the screen door bang shut as he was putting the lunch meat and the mustard back in the refrigerator.

"The hell happened to you?" "Turns out Daryl might have a pair o' balls after all." Daryl rolled his eyes and took a bite of his sandwich. He crossed back into the living room and kept walking without a word. "My beer!" Daryl ignored his father's angry pant and slammed the door to his bedroom. He flopped himself down on his bed and chewed his sandwich. He kept seeing Holly in his mind. She was kind of famous in Wyatt. From the day she turned eighteen, the longest she'd stayed in Wyatt was five or six months. On the rare occasions she _was_   home, he rarely ran into her. Yet just like earlier that day, when he _did_   she stared at him. It made him curious about what kinds of things she was hearing about him to make her stare so much.

When he swallowed the last bite of his sandwich, he took off his boots. He distinctly recalled what she looked like in high school, at least the one year they'd been there at the same time. She didn't look that much different when he really thought about it. She was taller, though not by much, and she had filled out to the way a woman should look. She no longer wore braces and she'd gotten some tattoos. Otherwise she looked about the same.

He took out his old yearbook from it's hiding place under his mattress. He turned to the seniors and found his own picture. He shuddered. His arms had been the only thing remotely muscular about him then, and that was only from hunting with a crossbow and lifting deer carcasses. He flipped over to the freshmen and looked for Holly. Her hair was still longer than any of the other girls' hair, her eyes hadn't lost that innocent sparkle, and her face was still spattered in light-colored freckles. She'd always dressed like a hippie, even though her parents were pretty well off and could buy her designer clothes. He remembered observing her most days after school while she waited for her mom to pick her up and he waited for his girlfriend to finish talking to her annoying friends so they could go make out in the McDonald's parking lot.

He flipped back to the seniors and looked for his old girlfriend. He found her close to the back. Brandi Scott wasn't Brandi Scott anymore. She had dumped Daryl right after they graduated, saying she didn't want to be tied down over the summer. She was going to UGA in the fall and Daryl was going to stay right where he'd always been - the backwoods of Wyatt. They had been together for almost the entire year and he'd thought he loved her. He was heartbroken when she left him, but he suffered in silence. He had heard her friends tell her she could do better, and he knew it was true. She met some guy in college, got knocked up, dropped out, and moved back to Wyatt. The kid's dad wasn't around and Brandi settled down with Kevin Smith, whose dad co-owned Smith & Williams Electrical.

He flipped through the clubs and sports. He was never in anything like that, though he always _wanted_   to play football. He'd been too scrawny back then, though, much better suited for baseball. His old man couldn't afford it though and wouldn't have let him play even if he could. A Dixon belonged in the woods, not on a field. On the rare occasions Daryl brought out his yearbook, he always found himself wondering how different his life would be now if he _wasn't_   a Dixon. He could have played sports back then instead of working at the gas station, which sucked. He could have gone to college, maybe even UGA with Brandi. Maybe he'd even be married with a couple kids by now. He frowned and closed the book. He could be anything he wanted, if his last name wasn't Dixon.


	3. Chapter 3

The smell of a cake baking greeted Holly at the door when she entered the bakery the next morning. Her mother smiled and kissed her cheek as Holly went around the counter to clock in. "You up for makin' a delivery today?" Holly shrugged. "Sure." She sat down in the bar stool and swiveled it to look at her mother. "I need you to take a cake over to your daddy's work at about one o'clock 'cause it's Kenny's birthday." Holly nodded and her mother disappeared into the kitchen.

Customers came and went and at a quarter to one, Holly's mother and aunt came out of the kitchen carrying a huge sheet cake. "Be careful," she told her. Holly took one end of the cake, her aunt holding the other end. Her mom followed and opened the door for them. Outside the air was hot and humid. Holly's mom opened the door of the delivery van and Holly and Sandra gently slipped the cake inside the refrigerated back. "When you get back you can clock out." With that Holly's mother turned and strode back into the bakery. "It's lunch rush so I need to stay here. When you get there, just call your dad's phone and he'll come help you."

There were two ways to get to Morrison Construction & Remodeling Company from the Sugar Cube. Holly decided to go the long way, turning down Old Farm Road instead of keeping on Main Street. She turned down Stoneview Road, drove past the Walmart, and pulled into the parking lot of her father's construction company. She parked the van and called her father's cell phone. "This cake is enormous. I need someone to help me carry it in and someone to hold the door."

Her dad strolled up to the van a minute later. "You're early for a change," he joked. "I know, and I even took the long way here to avoid just that." Her father followed her around back to help carry the monstrous cake. They eased it out gently and slowly made for the door. Her cousin Jessie's husband stood at the door, holding it open so they could pass through. He hurried off to hold the break room door for them. "Thanks, Tyler," Holly panted as they walked through the break room door.

The room was crowded with nearly thirty men. Kenny's back was turned but he quickly turned around when he heard Holly and her dad coming in. "What's this?" He was already grinning when Holly's dad nodded and everyone broke out into a loud rendition of 'Happy Birthday'. They slid the cake onto the long table as their voices mixed with the others. They opened the box to reveal a huge sheet cake with buttercream icing. Her dad popped some candles on and lit them. Holly smiled as a few of her dad's employees picked back up with the singing, only in Spanish. She joined in, to their delight.

"Feliz Cumpleaños, Kenny!" Kenny blew out the candles with a big smile. "Thanks, y'all!" He cut into the cake. It was a moist, crumby vanilla cake. The others dug in. "Here, have a piece," her father said, handing Holly a piece. "Thanks." One of the new workers struck up a conversation as her father talked to Kenny. "Are you fluent?" She answered in Spanish. "Carlos, right?" He nodded. They talked for a few minutes entirely in Spanish. She hardly got to practice when she was in Wyatt, so it was nice to have someone who actually understood Spanish to speak it with.

The secretary knocked a few minutes later. "Pam! Come on in and get you some cake!" Pam smiled. "In a minute. Daryl Dixon is here," she informed him. "Oh, that's right. Well, tell him I'll be right with him. And come get some cake." Jeffrey Morrison was always nothing if not enthusiastic. It was one of Holly's favorite things about her dad. He set his cake down cut another piece. He handed it and a plastic fork to Holly, then cut one more piece. "Take that to Pam. She'll never get a piece if you don't." Holly said goodbye to Carlos and followed her dad out to the lobby. Just as Pam had said, there sat Daryl Dixon nervously bouncing his leg. He looked up as they entered the room.

Holly smiled at him before handing Pam her piece of cake. "Thank you," Pam said with a warm smile. "Here ya go, son. My wife made it," her father said, shoving the cake in front of Daryl's face. He took it awkwardly. "Um, thanks." Holly noticed his eye was bruised. "You ever done roof work?" Daryl shook his head. "Not really." He looked around, probably wondering why they weren't doing this in an office somewhere, but that's how Holly's dad was. He was an open, honest person. Daryl took a bite of the cake. "Good, ain't it? Married my wife for her cookin'," her father teased.

Holly's phone went off. It was a text from her mother asking where she was. "Gotta go, daddy. Mama needs the delivery van." He stood. "Alright, darlin'. Love you." She hugged him. "Love you too." She turned to Daryl. "Good luck." She winked and walked out, throwing her empty plate and plastic fork in the trash on her way out. She hopped back in the van and turned the key. She made the quick trip back to the bakery and parked in the usual spot in front of the door.

Her mom was behind the counter, ringing up a customer. "You have a good day!" She smiled at Holly as she came around the counter. "How'd it go?" Her mom was always eager to find out if people liked what she'd made, and they always did. "It was delicious. You know dad, he made me stay for a piece." She grinned, her blue eyes sparkling with delight. "Oh, good. I hope Kenny liked it." Holly smiled as she punched out. "He seemed pretty pleased." "What are you up to now?" her mother asked casually. Holly shrugged. "Who knows? I might pop over to the library. First I'm definitely gonna go get some lunch."

She stuck her head into the kitchen to say goodbye to Sandra, Nicky, and her sister-in-law Lauren, then made a bee-line for the door. The Cowboy Cafe was on her way so she pushed the door open and sat herself in the last empty booth. A girl she remembered from school set a menu down in front of her and smiled. "What can I getcha to drink?" "Sweet tea, please." The girl, who Holly recalled was named Erica, trotted off to get her tea. When she returned a moment later, Holly knew what she wanted to eat. Erica didn't bother to write it down. "Grilled cheese with fries."

She sipped her tea as Erica left to put in her order. The door opened and in walked Daryl Dixon, wearing a blue button down with long sleeves and khakis. He must have come straight from her dad's office. He scanned the diner for a free table. Holly waved him over without a second thought. Wyatt was a small town, they'd already run into each other multiple times, and it was only a matter of time until they would have to at least have a polite conversation. Why not over lunch?

He sat down in the booth awkwardly. Holly figured he wouldn't know what to say, it wasn't like they were friends. They were hardly acquaintances. "How'd it go with my dad?" she asked conversationally. Holly had no trouble starting conversations. She was outgoing by nature. "I got the job," he answered, biting his lip to suppress a smile. "Oh, good. Congrats." Erica returned with a sweet tea for Daryl. "Thanks." "The usual?" she asked. He nodded. "Come here often?" Holly joked when Erica left to put his order in. He didn't get a chance to reply. The door opened and Holly sighed. Shawn grinned and made his way to her table.

"Your mom said you'd be here," he said by way of greeting. He glanced at Daryl. "What are you doin' all the way in town? Figured you'd be on the farm." "Maggie told me you were back and I wanted to see you." "You didn't have to come all the way out here just to see me. I'm goin' to that memorial barbecue after church on Sunday." Shawn shrugged with a smile. "It's okay. I wanted to." Holly gave him a small smile and looked back to Daryl. "Are you goin' on Sunday?" she asked. "Wasn't plannin' on it," he replied. "You should. My mom's bringin' a thousand cupcakes." She smiled, hoping he'd change his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning that this particular chapter is NSFW.
> 
> I would also like to point out that this could potentially be really awkward and I apologize in advance if it's awful. You'll see what I mean.

Erica brought out Daryl's usual bacon cheeseburger and the grilled cheese Holly had ordered. "Hey, Shawn. What can I getcha?" Shawn ordered a sweet tea and a barbecue sandwich. Holly seemed suddenly tense now that Shawn had joined them. Daryl noticed how close Shawn sat to her. She pulled her long hair back into a ponytail and munched on a fry. "You're awfully dressed up for lunch at the diner," Shawn commented. "Had an interview," Daryl explained. He took a big bite of the greasy burger, trying not to get any of the grease on his shirt. "Oh? Where at?" Small talk annoyed Daryl, but he went along with it anyway. It didn't seem like Shawn would be leaving anytime soon.

He swallowed and glanced at Holly. "The construction place." Shawn looked from Daryl to Holly quickly. "Oh. Holly's dad is a great guy," he said. "Good luck." Holly smiled a little. "He don't need luck. Daddy hired him." Shawn seemed surprised. He faked a smile. "Your dad is a generous man." Daryl ignored the jibe and took another bite of his burger. Erica bringing Shawn his barbecue shut him up, if only for a few minutes.

Holly finished her food and checked her phone. Shawn peeked over. "It's pretty early. We could catch a matinee," he suggested as Holly put her phone back in her purse. "Maybe another time. I told my mom I'd stop over at her place and let the dogs out." Shawn smiled dubiously. "And that'll take all afternoon?" "No, but I also want to sleep." He grinned. "Lazy," he chuckled, elbowing her lightly in the ribs. She faked a laugh. "Alright, then. How about Saturday?" Holly shook her head. "Gotta be at the bakery. We're gonna make the cupcakes for Sunday." He groaned in frustration. "You're killin' me," he told her. "Sorry, Shawn. I've hardly slowed down since I got back." He sighed. "Fine, you tell me when you're free and I'll come pick ya up and we'll go see whatever movie you want." She nodded, faking a grin.

Daryl finished his burger and sucked down the last of his sweet tea. He stood up. "Nice seein' ya," he said politely. "Yeah, you too," Holly replied. He paid his check, put a couple dollars in the tip jar, and walked back out to his truck. He wasn't particularly thrilled at the thought of going home. He knew Merle would mock him for dressing up for a job interview, but he didn't have anywhere else he needed to go and he didn't want to waste gas just driving around.

He turned off on the long dirt road that led straight to the cabin he shared with his brother and their father a few minutes later. He was still telling himself not to get pissed off about Shawn implying that Holly's dad only hired him as a charity case. More likely he was the only one willing to take a job that involved climbing up on people's houses in the baking hot sun. It wasn't his first choice, admittedly, but he didn't have the luxury of being choosy.

When he pulled up to the house, Merle was waiting for him outside. He stood, flicked the cigarette he'd been smoking to the ground, and ambled over. "Don't get out. We're goin' to the shop," he said. "No we ain't. I just got back from town." Merle ignored him and climbed in the passenger side. "You deaf or just stupid?" Merle glared at him. "Want another black eye, punk? Come on. My bike's done." Daryl rolled his eyes. "I don't give a shit. Get one o' your customers to take ya. I ain't wastin' no more gas on you." Merle pulled an annoyed face. "I'll give you gas money." Daryl sighed and held his hand out. "Pay up first." Merle rolled his eyes and shoved a fifty in his brother's hand. "Where'd you get this kind o' money?" Daryl asked, taking his wallet out and depositing the money inside. "Sales are up. Got some new shit. Now let's go."

Daryl turned the key and his trusty old Chevy sprang to life. As he tore down the dirt road, Merle began his mocking. "What in the hell have you got on?" he asked, grinning wickedly. "Clothes." "Whatcha get all dolled up for, princess? Getcha a ' _real job_ '?" "Matter-o'-fact, I did." Merle chuckled. "Well, ain't you all growed up! Who took pity on you this time?" Daryl squeezed the steering wheel. "I ain't fool enough to tell you." "I'll find out eventually. As you put it, Wyatt's a small town. People talk." Daryl knew he was right but he figured it would take a couple days at least.

They pulled into Duncan's Auto minutes later. Merle got out and walked inside. Even with the windows down it was hotter than hell. Daryl got out and leaned against his door. His brother may be an asshole, but he wouldn't leave him stranded in case they hadn't quite fixed the problem. A few minutes later Merle walked out with a satisfied grin on his face. "What's that smirk for?" Daryl grumbled. "Seems my little brother's a roofer over at Morrison's," he said with a gloating tone. "Who told ya that?" he asked. "Had it from Billy Duncan himself, who happens to be Jeff Morrison's brother-in-law." Daryl kicked his foot out angrily. "Aw, hell." Merle laughed. Their conversation was interrupted by the rumble of Merle's bike. Billy Duncan rode it out of the garage and over to the Dixon brothers.

"There ya go," he said, dismounting and holding onto the handlebars. Merle practically squealed. "My baby! Thank ya." Billy nodded and waved as he strode back into the shop. Daryl pulled the door of his truck open. "Well, come on, little brother. Let's celebrate! You got yourself a job and I got my baby back." Daryl huffed. "I'm goin' home and celebratin' with a damn nap." Merle stuck his tongue out. "Be that way then!" He revved his motorcycle's engine and sped off towards Main Street.

When Daryl was shut up in his room, he took his boots off and laid back on the bed. He watched the ceiling fan swirl above his head for a while before he finally fell asleep.

When he woke up it was almost seven. "Shit," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He'd slept for almost five hours. Sweat ran down his neck. He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it in a pile in the corner. The TV was on in the living room which meant his dad was probably awake. He opened his bedroom door and walked down the short hallway to the bathroom. He peeked around the corner. His father laughed at something which turned into a coughing fit ending in bloody sputum being spit into a napkin. Daryl grabbed a towel and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He hadn't wanted to risk a shower that morning. Waking Merle was the worst way to start any day.

He turned on the hot water and stripped out of his sweaty wifebeater and khakis. He took off his socks and boxers and then stepped into the steaming shower. He let the water rush over him for a brief moment before lathering shampoo in his hair. It was only in the private moments like this that he let himself be happy, however temporary. Whatever happened the next day he would deal with when it came, but for the moment he had a job and clean hair.

A few minutes later he stepped out of the shower, rubbed the towel over his head, then put it around his waist. He could hear his dad hacking in the living room again. _I gotta quit smokin'_ , he told himself. He grabbed his dirty clothes and slipped out of the bathroom. When he got back to his room he added them to the dirty pile. Shutting the door, he locked it and removed the towel. He went over to his dresser and pulled out a clean wifebeater, some boxers, and an old pair of dark blue basketball shorts. When he was dressed he laid back down on his bed and sighed.

It was close to midnight when he heard the screen door slam shut. There were footsteps and shortly after Merle's bedroom door shut with a loud bang at the other end of the hall. _Must not o' had any luck with the hookers_ , he thought with a satisfied smile. Soon the only sounds he heard were the cicadas outside and Merle snoring loudly. He stood up and quietly fished his yearbook back out from it's hiding place. He sat back in his bed and turned the lamp on. He told himself he wasn't looking specifically for Holly, but his eyes seemed to always find her first in any picture she happened to be in.

She had been a member of the Spanish club, the International club, and the girls' soccer team. He shut the yearbook and slid it under his mattress. The clock beside his bed read 1:27 AM. He sighed. He didn't start his job until Monday and it was only Thursday. Still, he wanted to get into the habit of going to bed at a reasonable hour so he could wake up without much issue at six o'clock every morning. He strained his ears. Merle was still snoring and his father was gasping in his sleep. He looked back at the clock. A minute had passed. He bit his lip. Tucked away in a box in the back of his tiny closet were a few Playboy magazines. He quietly got up and snuck over to the closet like he was in high school again. He lifted the lid of the box and took the first one off the top.

Doing this always made him feel dirty, though he could never figure out why. His brother had at least four times the number of porno mags that Daryl had, and he didn't bother to hide them. It was natural and healthy to be aroused by the female body. He knew that, but there was always a feeling of guilt involved. He quietly crept back to his bed. The issue was several years old and well-worn. Just because he felt bad about jerkin' off to pictures of girls he'd never be able to have, didn't mean he didn't do it. Between working, taking care of his old man, and being related to Merle he didn't have much time for a relationship and most women weren't too interested. There was Erica from the diner, but she was married and he wasn't a homewrecker.

The woman on the cover stared at him with a seductive expression. His eyes roamed her body slowly. The girls on the cover were usually more covered up than the ones inside. He opened the magazine to a random page and slowly snaked his hand down his shorts to rub himself through his boxers. He stroked gently while his eyes took in a young woman with large, round breasts and a shaved pussy. He always kind of liked them better shaved, though he wasn't really very picky. He turned the page.

This girl was in lingerie but it didn't actually cover much. The top was entirely see-through. He kept his eyes on her breasts as he slid his shorts and boxers down to his knees. He looked at the next page, still lightly running his hand over his package. Finally he felt a familiar tightening as his dick became erect. He gently squeezed his shaft and let out a shaky breath, his heart beating a little faster. He started up a slow rhythm. Pre-cum leaked from the head of his cock. He put the magazine off to the side, open so he could look over if he wanted, and continued pumping his hand up and down his shaft.

He bit his lip to keep from making noise as he worked his dick with faster strokes. He was past the point of needing the magazine. At this point he usually just imagined some faceless woman with her mouth around his cock and his hands in her hair. He inhaled deeply, rubbing his thumb over the tip. His breathing quickened with the pace of his hand. His heart sped up as well and it was becoming increasingly harder to stay quiet. He exhaled sharply as the faceless woman in his imagination licked the tip of his cock, his thumb rubbing it in reality. "Oh fuck," he hissed. He felt an undeniable tension and a familiar warmth spreading in his groin. He squeezed his eyes shut as his whole body tensed. His grip tightened slightly. The woman in his imagination grinned up at him, only this time she had sparkling, almond-shaped blue eyes, long brown hair, and freckles. He jerked his hips and pumped harder. His orgasm finally erupted from the head of his dick forcefully.

The box of tissues was under the bed. He grabbed one and wiped his hand and then cleaned up the rest of the mess. His breathing was still heavy, but now so were his eyelids. He hid the used tissues under his bed to be thrown away later and pulled up his boxers and shorts. The magazine was still open. He closed it and slipped it under the mattress with this yearbook, too sleepy to bother getting up to put it back in his closet. Closing his eyes, he rolled over on his side. His breathing evened out and sleep took him in minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that that's over...
> 
> I must admit that I scoured Tumblr/Google for tips on writing male masturbation as I am a female and have never experienced what it's like to jerk off, ya know? I read countless guides and this chapter was the result. Sorry if it made you super uncomfortable. I tried.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little pronunciation note - I did not spell 'Sunday' wrong by accident. Most people I know pronounce the days of the week without the 'a' in day. Sundy, Mundy, Tuesdy (which can be pronounced with the 't' sound or 'ch' like Chuesdy), Thursdy, Fridy, Saturdy.

Holly was up bright and early Sunday morning for church despite having been up until almost midnight getting the cupcakes ready for the memorial barbecue. She showered and got dressed, then fed Giuseppe and drove down to her parents' house. Her mother opened the front door as she pulled up. Holly parked and stepped out of the car. Her mother frowned as she approached the front porch. "That's what you're wearing to _church_?" Holly sighed. "What's wrong with it?" Her mother led her into the living room.

"It's so short and it shows off all those tattoos." Holly rolled her eyes. "It barely shows any of my tattoos. And it ain't _that_   short." The dress was floral print on a white background. It was sleeveless with an almost sweetheart neckline and it ended just above the knee. Over it she wore a white shrug with a lace back. Her mama sighed. "What is everyone gonna say?" "Mama, stop. You know I don't care what they say." Her mother frowned. "I care." Her daddy walked in and leaned against the door frame. "Let her be, Donna. It's gonna be hot out at the memorial." Holly smiled at her dad. "Well, let's go then," her mother sighed.

She rode to the Holy Spirit Baptist Church with her parents. When they arrived, she slid out of the back of her mother's Honda as her parents got out of the front. Her brother Joey, his wife Lauren, and their two daughters, Chloe and Ellie, were already waiting for them by the doors. Holly's brown platform wedges made muffled clacking noises on the pavement as she made her way over. Her mother was talking excitedly with Lauren and rubbing her belly. She was due soon and looked ready to pop at any moment.

The inside of the old, white church was stuffy. They didn't have air conditioning. All they had to cool them down were two ceiling fans. Most people had personal paper fans. People were flooding through the large white doors. Holly's family took up almost a whole pew on their own. Ellie and Chloe sat between their parents. Chloe was the oldest at five. She held a little pink Bible securely in her lap. Ellie was three and more interested in playing with her mother's hair.

The preacher was Kenny's uncle Darnell, who was in his late sixties with a streak of white through his short black hair. He was a lively, boisterous man with dark skin and a thin mustache above his lips. He got very excited when talking about God and the Bible. He would bounce up and down on the balls of his feet and hoot and holler. His hands and arms would sometimes flail wildly above his head. Occasionally, when the Spirit really took him, he'd burst into a line from a song that went along with what he was preaching about. It was always entertaining to watch, even for Holly, who had never considered herself very religious.

Mr. Darnell went around shaking people's hands and welcoming them to church. There was a buzz in the air as people chatted with friends and family members. Mr. Darnell was shaking hands in the pew in front of Holly when a hush fell over the congregation. Holly turned to see what was going on. Stepping into the church were Daryl and Merle Dixon. Daryl was wearing the same outfit he'd worn to his interview at her dad's company and an awkward expression. Merle was in ill-fitting black slacks and a short-sleeved, pale yellow button down. Admittedly, Holly hadn't spent much time in Wyatt since she had turned eighteen, but in all the time she'd lived there, she had never once seen Merle Dixon at church. Daryl had come sometimes when he was younger with his mother. But no one had seen him at church since she'd died.

Without missing a beat, Mr. Darnell grinned broadly at the newcomers. "Welcome, boys." Merle looked around the church with a small smile. Daryl nodded, his cheeks turning pink as his eyes found Holly's. She smiled at him and waved, which of course didn't go unnoticed. Mr. Darnell went back to shaking hands while the Dixon brothers sat in the back row. At promptly nine o'clock the sermon began.

"Love," Mr. Darnell said, "love is what God has laid on my heart to talk about today." There were murmurings of "amen" throughout the church. "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. First letter of John, chapter three, verse eighteen." Joey put his arm across the back of the pew, his hand resting on Lauren's shoulder. She tilted her head to his shoulder. Mr. Darnell's eyes swept over the congregation. Pretty much all of the couples were holding hands or sitting similarly to Joey and Lauren. A small smile played across his lips. "Now, I don't know about y'all, but I make sure to tell my beautiful wife of some forty years that I love her every day..."

Holly couldn't help but think the sermon would have been perfect for Valentine's Day, but she guessed if the preacher had felt God wanted him to talk about it before then, there must be a reason. Perhaps some of the couples in the congregation needed to hear it. Though she was single, she listened. He spoke about the importance of showing love, not just saying it out loud; whether it be amongst friends, family, or significant others. She thought it was actually really beautiful.

After the final prayer had been said and a hymn had a been sung, the preacher shook hands with people as they left. Normally there was no rush to get out, even on the hottest day of the year, but on that particular Sunday there was a memorial barbecue to be had. Holly slipped away from her family in the chaos. She got right up behind Daryl. "You changed your mind," she said with a smile. Before he could respond she smiled at Merle. "You look nice," she told him. He laughed. "Well, ain't you sweet as sugar?" Holly put her hand on her hip. "That's what my daddy says." His grin was lopsided. He opened his mouth to say something but Daryl cut him off. "I was just gonna go to the barbecue but Merle wanted to come to church." Holly didn't show that she was surprised. "Well, you picked a good Sundy to come."

Holly's family caught up with her. Her dad shook Daryl's hand and asked if he was coming to the barbecue. None of them were really sure how to react to Merle, but they greeted him politely all the same. While her father chatted with the Dixon brothers, her mother held Ellie and talked to Lauren. Joey was talking to Kenny and his wife, leaving Holly to observe. Her eyes kept glancing over to Daryl, though she tried not to be obvious. He was rugged and she kind of had a thing for that; but he also cleaned up nicely.

"Boo!" Holly jumped and spun around, ready to punch whoever had snuck up on her. She unclenched her fist and put her hand over her heart. "Don't do that, Shawn!" Shawn's grin didn't falter as he apologized. "A bunch of us are going to the lake this afternoon, do you wanna come?" In her car at her parents' house was a tote bag with sunscreen, a bathing suit, a cover, and flip flops. She always went to the lake when she was out at her parents' house, mainly because they lived right on the lake in house her daddy had built. "Sure. Just let me know when y'all are gonna go so I can run over to my parents' place and change." Finally Holly's parents ushered her out to the car.

They had to make a run to the bakery to retrieve the cupcakes that had been baked the night before. They stacked the boxes into the bakery delivery van and Holly's father slid into the driver's seat. When the door was shut, Holly's mother slapped the back of the van and gestured for her dad to go ahead. Holly and her mom rode together in the Honda.

The barbecue was being held in the parking lot of the Wyatt Police Department. It wasn't much of a grand event. There was a barbecue pit going, tables for sides and desserts, and donation jars on most of the tables. There was a drink table too where people could get a soda, water, or sweet tea. Holly helped set up the cupcake tables. When they were assembled, she and her mom set to work putting the cupcakes on display. Holly saw Shawn from across the parking lot with his family. He waved and jogged over. "Need some help?" "Oh, Shawn, you're an angel," her mom swooned. "Thanks," Holly said.

With the help of Shawn, Maggie, and Beth the cupcakes were out on display in no time. Within minutes they were swarmed. Shawn stayed to help and Sandra showed up moments later. By far the best seller was the red velvet with cream cheese frosting. They were a staple at the bakery; everybody loved them. Luckily, her mother had accommodated for this fact by making more red velvet cupcakes than any other flavor.

After about two hours Officer Grimes stood to say a few words, then Mr. Darnell led them in prayer. After that, it was over. People were slowly starting to clear out. All the cupcakes had sold and all that money was going to the police department and Officer Walsh's family. Shawn was getting antsy. Holly's mother smiled. "Y'all can run on down to the lake if y'all want." Shawn grinned. "You sure?" "Go on." Shawn grabbed Holly's hand and led her away. She spotted Daryl ahead and took her hand out of Shawn's. She waved at him. "What are you doing?" Shawn asked. "I'm gonna invite Daryl to the lake. Why? Something wrong?" Shawn opened his mouth to reply but Daryl had seen her waving and made his way over.

Holly beamed at him. "Hey, you wanna come to the lake? A bunch of us are goin'." Daryl looked surprised. "Oh...uh..." Merle casually strode up to his brother. "There ya are, little brother. Been lookin' for ya." He winked at Holly. "Hey, sugar." "Afternoon, Merle. I was just invitin' Daryl down to the lake. Don't suppose you'd be interested?" Merle chuckled. "Naw, but thank ya, sugar." He clapped Daryl on the back. "You should go. Might be fun." Daryl shrugged. "Live a little," Merle teased, giving him a playful shove. "Yeah, okay, fine," Daryl said, glaring at his brother. "How're you gonna get back to the house?" he asked. Merle smiled. "Don't worry about me. Go on and have some fun."

Shawn watched Merle leave, then turned his attention back to Holly. "So, you wanna ride over to your parents' place with me?" "I should ride with Daryl. I don't think he quite knows how to get there." Shawn frowned. "He can follow us." Holly put her hands on her hips. "Would you quit bein' so territorial. We've been friends since we were in diapers. I ain't tryin' to replace you." Shawn's face went red. "Fine, I'll meet you over there." "See ya in a few." Shawn walked away, looking back every few feet.

"You don't mind, do you? Shawn's sweet but, _God_ , he can be overbearing." Daryl shook his head. She smiled at him. "After you." He led her over to the beat up old Chevy she'd seen him leave the grocery store in. He opened the passenger side door for her, earning them looks from several people. "Oh, thanks." He mumbled, "yeah," and went around to the driver's side. He turned the key and the truck rumbled to life. "Just go out the way you would if you were goin' to the lake. My parents live off that dirt road by the church." He put his foot on the gas and drove out of the parking lot.


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl wasn't sure what exactly was going on. Holly seemed to have taken a special interest in him, but she also seemed to know Merle, which made it all extremely suspicious. There were only two things he could think of that would explain Holly's interest. Either Merle had paid her to be nice to him for a while in order to later humiliate him. Or, she was only being nice to him because he worked for her dad and it would look bad for the boss' daughter to act like a bitch. Though the second explanation didn't have anything to do with Merle.

"So when we get to the house, the dogs are gonna go crazy if they're even there, but they're all really sweet." Daryl half-smiled. "I ain't scared o' dogs," he told her. "Only one of 'em is big anyways. Just thought I'd warn ya. I brought one of my friends from college over once and forgot to to tell him about the dogs and it turns out he was terrified of dogs." Daryl chuckled. Holly sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm glad you decided to come," she said. "Why's that?" Holly's eyes crinkled when she smiled. "Lots of reasons." She was teasing him. "Gimme one." She pretended to think. "Well, I need someone to be a buffer between me and Shawn." Daryl grunted. "Also I really want to get to know you."

Daryl glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he drove. He looked ahead and turned down the dirt road by the church. "Why's that?" he asked. "Because you're different." He wasn't really sure what to say to that. Being different could mean a lot of things and it could be positive or negative. He came to the end of the road. "Which way?" "Oh, uh, go right. The very last house on the end." He pulled into the drive behind a black Nissan Altima. He followed Holly out of the truck. She went around to the Nissan and pulled out a bag. "I gotta change. Everyone else is probably already down at the lake, but who knows?"

Her mama pulled into the driveway as Daryl was following Holly up the front steps. Luckily they had a pretty long driveway. Her mom stepped out of her car and met them on the porch. "Well, hey there." She hugged Daryl like she'd known him his whole life, and in a way, she kind of had. "Everyone else down at the lake?" Holly shrugged. "I reckon. I don't hear the dogs." She opened the screen door and then the front door. Daryl followed her inside.

In all his life he had never been in a house like this. The paint on the walls was a light shade of green and pictures lined the walls. To the right was an archway leading into what looked to be a living room. The hardwood floors were so clean he could see his reflection. To the left was the staircase. Holly's mom strolled past him and disappeared around the corner to the right. "You probably didn't bring swim clothes, huh?" Daryl's eyes shot back to Holly. He shook his head. "It's cool. My mama keeps _everything_   unless we specifically tell her to get rid of it or toss it ourselves. There's probably a pair of my brother's old swim trunks upstairs. Come on." He followed her over to the stairs. They were wide enough for the two of them to walk up side by side.

When they reached the top Daryl noticed a door to the right. "That's my parents' room," she told him, nodding to the door. She turned and led him through an archway. "Straight ahead is what was meant to be a fourth bedroom but mama turned it into the craft room." She led him down a wide hallway and through the door on the right. "So this is Joey's old room. Pretty much nothing has changed in here even though he's almost thirty and is never going to occupy this space again." Most of the space was taken up by a double bed with camouflage bedding, a desk, a bookshelf, a small dresser, and a now empty display case. The walls were green, a few shades darker than the halls, and there were several sports posters tacked up.

Holly set her bag down and sauntered over to the dresser. She dug around for a moment in two of the drawers. "Aha!" She produced a pair of faded blue swim trunks with white Hawaiian flowers on them. She held them out in front of her, looking from the trunks to Daryl. "I think they'll fit. Might be a little loose. These are from Joey's football days." She tossed them over with a grin. "Wanna see my old room?" He nodded and followed her across the hall. Her bedroom door was different than the other doors. The other doors were just normal, oak doors. Holly's looked like the front door of a cottage or something.

She opened the door. The walls were painted a vibrant turquoise-blue color. The bed was an antique looking four-post canopy with light blue gauze-y stuff hanging from the top and a bedspread with snowflakes all over it. Just behind the door was a huge vanity that was intricately carved and looked as antique as the bed. To the other side was a desk. Between the desk and the vanity was a globe. Off in the far corner was a bookshelf. The walls were bare save for a huge canvas map above the desk and a calendar next to it.

Holly sat on her bed, her legs dangling over the side. "This is it. This is where I spent most of time as a kid." Daryl didn't know what to say so he just said, "it's nice." She shrugged. "Well, you can change in Joey's room or the bathroom, which is directly between our rooms. Whichever you prefer." Daryl left her to change and went back across the hall to Joey's room. As he stripped out of his church clothes, he wondered if he had been anyone else, would he have been in this room as Joey Morrison's friend in high school? It felt weird being there at that moment, more than a decade later.

As he was folding his clothes (except for the undershirt he had worn under his church shirt) there was a light knock on the door. "Are you decent?" "Yeah." Holly stood in the doorway, barefoot, with a long sheer top over her bikini. Her long hair was hanging over her left shoulder in a braid, a white pair of bug-eye sunglasses rested atop her head. Daryl made a point to look at her face, and _only_   her face. "They fit okay?" she asked him. He nodded. They were a little loose, but he'd tied the string as tight as it would go and it had helped. He wasn't too worried about a wardrobe malfunction. "They look good," Holly muttered. He wasn't sure he'd heard her right, but her cheeks went pink and she must have said what he thought she said.

She quickly changed the subject. "Whenever you're ready. You can leave your clothes in here." He put them on the bed and followed her back down the stairs. He kept his eyes down, knowing if he looked over at Holly he'd probably trip and fall down the stairs, effectively making an ass of himself. When they reached the bottom of the stairs Holly called out for her mom. "Coming!" A few moments later she appeared wearing a pair of white shorts, white flip flops, and a light pink top. She had a huge pink bag over her shoulder. "I hope you got your bathin' suit on under all that 'cause you always say you're just gonna dip your feet but then you _always_   get in." Her mother pursed her lips. "I _am_   just gonna dip my feet." Holly just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Let's go. Time's a-wastin'," Holly said, pulling her sunglasses off her head and slipping them on. Daryl followed Holly with Mrs. Morrison bringing up the rear. They went through the kitchen, out the back door, and through the gate at the edge of the property. Lake Wyatt was only five yards from the Morrisons' back yard. As they got closer Daryl could hear dogs barking. Holly's dad was sitting on a beach towel with a cold Coke in his hand. He waved as they approached. "There y'all are. Hey, Daryl!" "Hey." Holly took his hand and led him away as her dad asked her mom to rub sunscreen on his back. "Come on. No one needs to see that." She stopped a few yards away and took a beach towel from her own bag. She laid it out, sat down, and motioned for Daryl to join her. She dug around for her own sunscreen.

"It's hot as balls," she said, lathering the lotion on her tan arms. Daryl grinned. "Yeah," he agreed. She moved on to her face and chest. Daryl had to look away as she rubbed the coconut scented sunscreen over her smooth legs. _She's the boss' daughter_ , he reminded himself. "You ever come to the lake?" she asked, lifting the sheer top over her head to reveal an American flag print bikini that left little to the imagination. "Not really," he answered, feeling uncomfortable tension. "Really? You seem like the kind o' guy who goes fishin'." "Got a honey hole out towards Buford." She rubbed some sunscreen across her stomach and thighs.

"Can you get my back?" Daryl's eyes widened. He glanced in the direction of her parents. She grinned. "I'm a grown ass woman and it's onl...never mind." Daryl frowned when he noticed Shawn jogging in their direction. "I swanney, it's like he has some kind of tracking device on me." Shawn leaned over, panting slightly, as he reached their towel. "Here." He squeezed some lotion on his hands and rubbed it down her back, taking more time than Daryl really thought was necessary. When he was done, Holly handed the tube to Daryl. "I'm okay." She stared at him until he took it. "Skin cancer is _not_   sexy." He half-smiled as he rubbed it over his arms.

"Let's go," Shawn said with a grin. "Dude, swimming with sunscreen is like swimming after eating. You have to wait thirty minutes," Holly protested. "Why?" Daryl asked. He'd never heard that before. She looked at him and very seriously replied, "because if you don't it just comes off anyway and pollutes the water." He looked at the tube of sunscreen. "Says here it's waterproof," he pointed out. "Lies." He grinned at her, he couldn't help it. "It's _not_   waterproof?" "Doesn't matter. Waterproof or not, you have to wait." She looked at Shawn. "If you put on sunscreen half an hour ago then feel free to swim, I'll come in when my thirty minutes is up."

He looked like he was going to stay, but thankfully one of his sisters called for him and he left. Daryl caught a glimpse of Holly's thighs as she leaned back on her elbows. There was a huge, brown mark on the left one. After looking at it for a while he realized it couldn't be a birthmark. It was in the shape of a map. He turned his head, Holly was staring at him again. "What?" he asked. "Nothin'." Daryl tried to keep from scowling. "You keep starin' at me. You _always_   stare at me." Her cheeks went pink and he felt bad for being a dick. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like an asshole." She smiled. "Well, I don't mean to stare," she told him.

He leaned back on his elbows. "That a tattoo?" he asked, nodding to the map on her thigh. "Yep. Mama hates it. She says it looks like an ugly birthmark, but I love it. It's one of my favorite ones." His eyes roamed over her body. He could see the tattoos under her collar bones. "What are the coordinates to?" he asked, referring to the tattoo under her collar bone on the left side. "Wyatt," she answered. "Seriously?" She grinned at him. "Yep. Everyone thinks I hate it here because I leave so much but I actually love it. That's why it's on the left, close to my heart." He had a strong desire to reach over and gently run his hand over it, but he resisted. "And the quote is from Lord of the Rings. ' _Not all those who wander are lost_.' Most people think I'm tryin' to find myself by travelin' so much. I know who I am. I'm not lost."

"So why do you leave?" he asked quietly, suddenly realizing he'd been dying to know since the first time she ever left. "I need adventure. I can't stand to sit still _all_ the time. Sometimes it's nice to just stop for a while and breathe, but I always inevitably feel the urge to fly." She was probably about the strangest girl he'd ever met, but she was by far the most interesting. He felt something pulling him to her, something he couldn't explain. He stared at her in confused awe for a moment. She smiled at him. "How 'bout you? You look like the type with a naked lady tattoo." He snorted. "You think so?" She just gave him a winning smile and a wink.

When thirty minutes had passed Holly led Daryl down to the water. She stuck her toes in to gauge the temperature. It was warm and she jumped right in. Daryl waded in waist-deep, not wanting to get his shirt entirely soaked. It was white and he was worried about people being able to see his scars. Holly was swimming close by. She turned around, clearly expecting him to be with her, and swam back. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked. Her suit was wet now and it clung to her. Daryl kept his eyes firmly planted on her face. "Nothin'." He bit his lip. "Can't swim?" "I can swim," he told her. She studied his face. "Are you okay?" she asked him. He nodded. "I'm fine." "I'll just stay here, then," she told him. "I didn't want to get my hair completely wet anyway." He felt bad. He didn't want to ruin her fun.

"You don't have to stay with me. It's okay," he told her. She put her hands on her hips. "I invited you to hang out, I'm not gonna ditch you." She grinned and poked him lightly. "Besides, I'd rather talk to you than have Shawn followin' me around like a lost puppy." Daryl's lips formed a hard line. "Why do you hang out with him if you don't like him?" She shrugged. "It's not that I don't like him, it's just that I don't like him the way he likes me." All Daryl could think of to say was, "oh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter I need to take a little break to catch up on some reading and to work on more chapters for not only this story, but the sequel to my other one. Won't be long, just a couple weeks, then I'll have plenty to post. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Holly wondered if Daryl realized how cute he was when he was awkward. They stood there, waist deep in the lake, for what felt like a while. Holly ran her fingers through the water gently and smiled at the ripples. After a few minutes of silence, Daryl spoke. "Incoming." Shawn swam over and playfully splashed Holly. "Why ain't y'all swimmin'?" "Daryl doesn't want to." Shawn's grin faltered a little as he looked over at Daryl. "Seriously? Come on, Holly. He'll be fine, right?" Daryl nodded. "See?" "No, that's douchey." "Just come swim for a little while and then you can go back to the undoubtedly riveting conversation you were havin'," Shawn whined. Holly rolled her eyes and was about to protest. "Go," Daryl told her. She turned to him. "But..." "I'll be waitin' when you get back. Go." She pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips. Daryl smiled and nodded. Holly sighed and threw her hands up. "Fine. But only for a little bit."

She swam out toward the middle of the lake with Shawn, feeling guilty and constantly checking to make sure Daryl hadn't left. He waved shyly from the shore. She waved back. She splashed around with Shawn and his sisters for about an hour. By then she was tired of swimming and wanted to lay out. "Hey, I'm goin' back to shore," she told them. Maggie and Beth waved goodbye but Shawn swam with her. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked when they were a long way off from his sisters. She stopped, floating lazily. "I just...I was thinkin' about what Mr. Darnell said." Holly's insides churned uncomfortably. She subconsciously glanced at the shore. Daryl was looking in their general direction, talking to her mother. "We've been friends forever and I really value our friendship..." He paused, biting his lip. "It's just...for the longest time I've felt different. I feel like we're meant to be together, ya know? Like our friendship was always meant to be something more." He didn't wait for her to respond. He closed his eyes and leaned in.

"Shawn, stop. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry." Shawn frowned. "Look, you're my best friend and I love you. But I love you the way a best friend should. I think you're absolutely amazing, but I could never be with you in a romantic way." His shoulders slumped. "I figured," he admitted. "I really am sorry. Especially if I gave you any reason to believe my feelings were anything more than they are." He shook his head. "You didn't. I knew you didn't think of me that way. I always hoped you might someday, but it's pretty obvious you never will." Holly bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Shawn. You gonna be okay?" she asked. He nodded and gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Of course. I always bounce back." She smiled and hugged him. "You're gonna find a girl who loves you so hard her heart feels like it's gonna explode, and you'll love her just as much," she muttered in his ear. She kissed his cheek and released him. "I'll see you later, okay?" He nodded and Holly swam back to shore.

"Holly, sweetheart, you havin' fun?" Holly nodded with a smile. "Where's daddy?" "Oh he went out to swim so I've just been chattin' away with Daryl. He was just tellin' me about a huge buck he got back in November and I was tellin' him that he and Jeff ought to go huntin' some time." Holly looked over at Daryl. "I bet daddy would love that." Her mother smiled. "Wouldn't he? He's always tryin' to get the boys at work to go but they're always busy." Holly smiled as her mama's Pomeranian jumped up, trying to get Daryl's attention. "Uh oh, I think Miss Lillie has a crush," she teased. Daryl smiled and bent down to pet her. The three of them sat down. Lillie curled up in Daryl's lap and licked his hand furiously if he stopped petting her. A few minutes later Holly's dad and the other dogs found them. Hank was her dad's Beagle and Red was his Redbone Coonhound.

Hank waddled over and plopped down with a big grin. Red got closer and shook himself off, spraying Holly, Daryl, and Holly's mother in doing so. "Dang it, Red!" Holly groaned. Daryl laughed. Holly's dad joined them and rubbed Ol' Red behind the ears. "Good boy," he cooed. About half an hour later her parents stood and gathered their things. "Now, Daryl, you're welcome to come on over for supper." When they were gone it was just Holly and Daryl. "So you wanna stay for dinner? Mama's fryin' chicken. It's kinda delicious." Daryl didn't look at her. "I don't wanna impose..." "Nonsense...I mean, unless you got your own family dinner." "Nah, we ain't that kind o' family." He bit his lip. "Okay, then. There's no reason for you not to come." He looked unsure. "Look, you work for my dad now. When you work for my dad you get treated like family, whether you like it or not. You're gonna get invited to dinner and cook outs, often. My mom _will_   talk to my dad and he _will_   ask you to go huntin'. It's just somethin' you'll have to get used to. No more hidin' out in the woods."

He looked at her for a second and then nodded. "Okay." She grinned. "You're in for a treat. Mama always makes mac and cheese when she makes fried chicken and my brother's kids are over. And there's always biscuits and deviled eggs. You haven't lived until you've eaten my mom's deviled eggs." Twenty minutes later Shawn and his sisters came to say goodbye. "We gotta head home. It's back to work tomorrow." "Alright, see y'all soon." Holly hugged each of them and waved as they started up the hill towards Holly's parents' house. Holly looked over at Daryl. "Guess we could head back to the house if you want."

Daryl stood and grabbed the towel. "Shawn and them ever come over for dinner?" Daryl asked, folding the towel. "You don't have to do that. And yeah, a lot. My mama and their mama are best friends. I grew up with 'em. You don't like 'em?" Daryl shrugged. "Don't really know 'em. Just curious." Holly suppressed a smile. "Shawn and I had a talk." Daryl grunted. They walked slowly. Holly wanted spend as much time with him as she could. "He tried to kiss me." "Yeah, I saw that." There was an edge to his voice. "He won't be doin' that again." They reached the gate to the back yard. Holly stopped and took in the sight.

Off to the right was a picnic table under three pine trees. Several feet away was a large bonfire pit. Below the porch and a foot or two away was a big grill that was well used from May to September. Off towards the middle of the yard were a sandbox and swingset that had been there during her childhood. Her parents had kept them for grandkids. Over to the left, close to her mom's garden, was a sprinkler. And a little ways off from that was the treehouse she and Joey had shared as kids. Chloe went up there sometimes, but Ellie was still too little.

"Was this stuff yours when you were little?" Daryl asked. "Yeah. Mine and Joey's. Joey's kids use it now when they're over here." She always felt nostalgic when she was here. "Anyway, let's go change." She led him through the back door which led into the kitchen. Holly's dad was coating pieces of chicken in a flour mixture while her mom was chopping cheese for the pasta. "Hey, y'all. Joey just called, they're on their way." Her mother hummed as she worked. "Okay. We gotta change. We'll be right back." Holly and Daryl trudged up the stairs and parted ways at the end of the hall. Holly took off her bathing suit and put her dress from church back on. She didn't bother with the shrug and left her feet bare.

She went back downstairs as Joey pulled into the drive. The dogs started going crazy. Joey opened the door and stepped in holding Ellie. Chloe waltzed in next. Lauren's belly preceded her through the door. Chloe immediately began doting on Lillie. Joey put Ellie down and hugged Holly. Ellie ran into the kitchen yelling, "GAMMAW, PAPAW!" Lauren hugged Holly and then followed her youngest daughter to the kitchen to help wherever she was needed. Daryl came down the stairs. Joey grinned. "Hey, I wondered whose truck that was." When Daryl reached the bottom of the steps Joey clapped him on the back.

Chloe looked up from petting Lillie. "Daddy, can I go to the tree house?" "After dinner, sweetheart." Chloe sighed. "Can I watch a movie?" Joey nodded. "Yeah, come on." Chloe smiled and led Lillie into the living room. "I'll betcha twenty bucks she wants to watch the Princess and the Frog." He shook his head with a big grin and followed his daughter to the living room. Holly smiled and watched them go. She turned to Daryl. "Come on." She led him to the kitchen. Ellie was on the floor playing with her favorite doll while the adults talked. "They should be here soon," her mom was saying. She looked up when she heard Holly and Daryl come in.

"You talkin' about Nicky and them?" "Yeah." A few moments later the front door opened. "Knock, knock!" "Come on in, y'all!" her daddy called. Footsteps got closer until her uncle John, aunt Sherry, and cousin Zach came in. "Sandra and Billy were right behind us," Sherry told them. As if on cue, the front door swung open and more family gathered in the kitchen. Lauren took Ellie out to the living room so the adults could have space without worrying about stepping on her.

Over the next fifteen minutes family members kept piling in the kitchen. "Good thing the kitchen's so big," Holly muttered to Daryl. He nodded. "You okay?" "I'm fine." Holly could see that he was uncomfortable. She took his hand and carefully led him out to the back porch. "Wanna swing?" She led him down to the swingset. They each sat in a swing, facing the house. "There's a lot o' people in there, I know. Sorry. I should have thought to tell you." Daryl shrugged. "You ain't much of a talker, are ya?" Holly joked. He smiled. "Sorry." "It's okay. If you get really uncomfortable, though, you can tell me." He nodded.

"You got a big family," Daryl commented after a short silence. "Yeah. And we're missin' one." Daryl gave her a puzzled look. "My cousin Ryan lives in Atlanta and don't get to come home much." "Oh. What's he do in Atlanta?" "He's a web developer." Holly closed her eyes as a breeze rolled by. "What about your family?" she asked when the breeze was gone. "What about it?" Holly smiled. "What does Merle do? What do y'all do together, if anything?" Daryl shrugged. "Merle don't do much of anything except piss me off. And about the only thing we do together willingly is hunt." Holly wasn't sure what to say. She probably shouldn't have asked, but she was curious. There were rumors, had been rumors for years, that Will Dixon had abused both his sons. She wondered if it was true.

"How's your dad?" she asked gently, hoping she wouldn't strike a nerve. "He's dyin'," Daryl told her. Her mouth dropped open and she covered it with a hand. "Shit, Daryl, I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I haven't been..." He shrugged. "Ain't your fault. It's lung cancer." Unsure of what to say, Holly reached out and took his hand. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Just swinging slowly in silence, staring up at the house.


	8. Chapter 8

The back door opened with a violent bang. Two boys who looked to be about five and a girl who was probably six or seven ran outside. They stopped at the bottom of the steps and stared at Daryl and Holly. Holly slipped her hand out of Daryl's and waved. The girl ran over excitedly. The boys waved and went over to the treehouse. "Is he your _boyfriend_?" the girl asked, her big blue eyes sparkling. "No," Holly replied. "He _looks_   like he could be your boyfriend." Holly grinned. "Well, I suppose he _could_   be, but he isn't. Go play." The girl giggled and ran after the boys. "Sorry. Brianna is...curious. She wants to know everything." "It's fine."

The kitchen windows were open and the smell of home cooking wafted out into the early evening air. It smelled absolutely amazing. Holly inhaled deeply. "Oh yes! I'm so pumped for some chicken!" Daryl smiled. He was getting pretty excited himself. "Smells good," he agreed. Daryl decided to keep the conversation going, eager to find out more about Holly. "So, you got a cat," he prompted. "Giuseppe," she told him with a look of adoration. Daryl raised his eyebrows at her. "What kind o' name is _that_?" he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him. "It's Italian. I got him when I lived in Italy. Poor baby. I was comin' home from my boyfriend at the time's apartment. I was really upset 'cause we had a fight and I'm tryin' to get my keys out and I hear this little noise. I looked around and there's this dirty little Ragdoll kitten lookin' up at me. The way he was lookin' at me...it was like _he_   was worried about _me_. I finally got the door open and he pranced right on in. We've been together ever since. He's my baby."

"You're tellin' me he showed up when you needed him most, comforted you, and you stuck him with Giuseppe?" She pushed him playfully. "It's cute! And anyway, it's a variation of Joseph, which is my brother's name." "So you named your cat after your brother?" Holly grinned. "Yeah, sort of, I guess." She shrugged. "You and your brother close?" he asked her. She nodded. "Very. We call each other like ten times a day. How about you and Merle? I mean, I know he pisses you off but that's kinda what brothers do." "I wouldn't say we're close the way you and your brother are." Holly looked at him, but before she could speak her mama stuck her head out the back door and hollered that dinner was done.

While the kids were being rounded up, some of the men in Holly's family set up some long tables out in the back yard. Then everyone squished themselves into the kitchen, her dad said a quick prayer, and the organized chaos began. "You go on," Holly told him. He tried to protest, but she wouldn't hear it. "It's tradition. Men and kids eat first, then the women. Go." He sighed but he knew he wouldn't win. He got a little of everything and followed the person in front of him out to the tables. There was no seating chart, though most of the guys left room for their wives. The kids sat at the picnic table. Mr. Morrison sat in front of Daryl. A grin spread across his lips from under his well-trimmed beard and mustache. His hair was the same color as Holly's.

"Dig in," Mr. Morrison told him, taking a bite of his biscuit. Daryl tried some mac and cheese. It was thick and creamy and unlike any mac and cheese he'd ever eaten. "Good, ain't it?" Daryl nodded and ate some more. The women filed out moments later. Holly took a seat next to Daryl while her mother sat across from them. "Well, don't you two look nice," she said with a grin. Holly's dad rolled his eyes. "Now, Donna, don't you go playin' cupid!" he joked. Daryl almost choked on his collard greens. Holly thumped him on the back as he reached for his sweet tea. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison were going back and forth with their banter and were too busy to notice.

A few minutes later Mr. Morrison addressed Daryl. "Donna was tellin' me about that deer," he said. Daryl glanced at Holly. Her head was down but she was grinning. "Yes, sir." "You hunt squirrel by any chance?" Daryl nodded. "Yes, sir." "Oh, stop with all that 'sir' nonsense and call me Jeff. You busy this weekend? Me and Tim and Donna's brother John were thinkin' o' goin' squirrel huntin' after work on Fridy. We'd love to have ya." Holly wasn't kidding. Her parents were literally the nicest people he had ever met. "Yeah, sounds great." "Just come on down to the house after work. We go out in the woods behind the house." Daryl nodded.

After dinner there was homemade coconut cake for the adults and red velvet cakepops for the kids. Daryl was pretty full, but he really wanted some of that cake. Mrs. Morrison cut him a generous slice. He stood with Holly in the corner. She was eating a small slice herself and watching Daryl as he took his first bite. It melted in his mouth. "Oh my God," he whispered. Holly's dad had heard and guffawed. " _That's_   what ya marry a girl for!" Holly's mom kissed her husband on the cheek and winked at Holly. Daryl tried not to be obvious, but he glanced over at Holly to see her reaction. She rolled her eyes at her mother and took another bite. "This is so good," Daryl moaned. "Thank you. I try." "Seriously, how do you get it so moist?" Holly snorted. Her dad pushed her playfully while her mother rolled her eyes. "Holly Christine Morrison!" Her mother looked absolutely horrified which only made Holly laugh even harder.

It took a few seconds but Daryl got the joke. Heat crept up his neck and made his cheeks go pink. "I'm sorry," Holly choked out. "But I couldn't resist!" "There are _children_   in here," her mother hissed. "Yeah and ain't a one of 'em payin' us no mind. Besides, they wouldn't get it anyway." Her mom just pursed her lips and looked at her pointedly. Holly shrugged and went back to her cake. Her mother shook her head and then smiled at Daryl. "Anyway, I'm glad you like it."

Daryl hadn't had a cigarette since after church. He'd been so busy talking to Holly and her family that he hadn't had time. He hadn't even thought about it. He could feel the pack in his pocket and considered stepping outside for a quick smoke. Holly came out of the downstairs bathroom and found him in the living room where he was talking to Joey and Jeff's brother Tim. "What're y'all talkin' about?" she asked. "Huntin'," Joey answered. "Of course," Holly sighed. "Well, we got to get goin'," Tim said. He shook hands with Joey and Daryl and hugged Holly before setting off to find his wife.

"So you work for your dad too, right?" Daryl asked Joey. "Yep." "Anything I should know?" Truthfully, despite the fact the the Morrisons were insanely nice, he was nervous about working for Jeff. "Nah, not really. We're all pretty much laid back, cool guys. Just do your job and don't ruffle any feathers and you'll fit right in." Daryl nodded. It wasn't _him_   who would be ruffling any feathers. He couldn't say the same for Merle.

After a while, most everyone had left and Daryl's truck was no longer blocked in. It was well past dark and he didn't want to overstay his welcome. "Well, I better go. Merle's probably wonderin' where I am. Thanks for dinner; it was amazing." Donna beamed and Jeff clapped him on the back. "Any time, son, any time. See you bright and early in the mornin'!" "Let me make you a plate to take home. We'll never eat all that's left over." Holly's mother scurried into the kitchen and came back moments later with a paper plate loaded with food and covered in tin foil in one hand, and another plate with foil in the other. "There was some cake left too so I'm sendin' some o' that with you." "Thank you."

Holly walked him to his truck. "So did you enjoy your first experience with my crazy family?" she asked. He grinned. "They're good people." She smiled and nodded. "I totally forgot that today was our monthly family reunion so I'm sorry about that but I'm glad you came. I had a blast." He suppressed a smile. "Monthly family reunion?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Not, like, technically, but basically. One Sundy every month the whole family gets together. This was that Sundy." "Well, thanks for invitin' me. It was really nice." She smiled. "Sure thing. I guess I'll see ya around," she said. "Yeah," Daryl replied. She went back inside as Daryl climbed in his truck. He set the food down in the seat next to him and turned the key.

When he got back to the house his father was asleep in his recliner and Merle came out of his bedroom. "Well, there ya are." Daryl ignored him and put his leftovers in the fridge. "Where'd you run off to? Been gone all day." "Went to the lake like you tol' me to." "Yeah, I figured that, dummy. You fuck that girl or what?" Daryl clenched his fists. "I don't know what you're talkin' about." Merle laughed dryly. "That Holly girl. She's sweet on ya. Ya get in them pants or not?" Daryl took a deep breath to calm himself. "Fuck off, Merle." Merle faked a sympathetic look. "Some girls just don't like to give it up too easy." Daryl ignored him and went to his room. "Oh, come on, little brother! Let's talk about girls!" He guffawed and Daryl heard him close his bedroom door. "Fuckin' prick," he grumbled as he took his shoes off.


	9. Chapter 9

Holly left her parents house soon after Daryl, mostly to avoid her mother's comments. She was sure she'd get an earful at work the next day. She made a plate of food, got an extra piece of cake, and left. When she got back to her apartment in town, she filled Giuseppe's water and food. She scratched him behind the ears as he ate and then put her food in the fridge. Stretching, she yawned. It was still pretty early, but she didn't have much to do and swimming had made her tired. Normally she ran at least one mile every day, but she figured swimming was just as good and dragged herself to her room.

She changed into a pair of gray shorts, took off her strapless bra, and put on an old light blue tank top. She crawled onto her bed and turned on the lamp. On her bedside table was the book she'd been reading. She picked it up and began reading where she left off. Giuseppe launched himself onto the foot of the bed and curled up. This was Holly's favorite way to spend a Sunday night. She sighed contentedly. It was almost two o'clock before she finally put the book down and went to sleep.

The next morning Holly was rushed. She took a quick shower, as fast as she could. She had to blow dry her hair, which she hated doing. Once it was dry, brushed, and braided, she quickly brushed her teeth and got dressed. She wore a white Sugar Cube t-shirt, a pair of hot pink running shorts, and her purple Nike running shoes. She made sure Giuseppe had enough food to last while she was gone before grabbing her car keys and rushing down to the parking lot. Her phone rang as she reached her car. "Hey, I know I'm running late. I'm currently on the way and will be there in like two minutes."

A few minutes later she pulled into the parking lot of the bakery and ran inside. She greeted Mrs. Harris, one of her mother's friends, as she stepped behind the counter. Her mother handed her a box of pastries and ran her debit card. A receipt printed. Her mother handed it to Mrs. Harris with a smile. "I'll see you Fridy!" She turned to Holly. "You look so tired. Did you sleep alright?" Holly yawned. "Yeah, I ended up going to bed kinda late. Got caught up in a book." "Oh, what are you reading?" "The Divergent series. It's young adult dystopian." The bell over the door chimed and her mother greeted Officer Grimes with a smile.

The morning was slow. Very few people had time to come in at nine in the morning on a Monday. Holly's mind wandered as she listened to her mama hum. She was daydreaming about the moment Shawn had tried to kiss her at the lake, only in her mind, it was Daryl and she let him. All her life she had watched Daryl, wondering what he was like under the rough exterior. It felt unreal that she was finally getting the opportunity to get to know him for real. She had always felt a strange pull to him. He fascinated her, though she didn't know why. Maybe because he'd always seemed so aloof, shy even. Holly had just never been that way. She had always been very honest and open and unabashedly herself. She figured she got that from her daddy.

She came back down to earth a few minutes later when her mom waved a hand in front of her face and said, "woohoo! Earth to Holly!" Holly shook her head slightly and focused on her mother. "Thinkin' about Daryl?" she asked, grinning. Holly rolled her eyes. "Ugh, mom, really?" Her mom wiggled her eyebrows. "Ma!" "Oh, lighten up. I think it's sweet." Her mama put her hands on her hips. "Hypothetically speaking, if you _were_   to have a crush on him and he were to like you back, would you stay here?" Holly shot her a dirty look. Her mom sighed. "I know you love traveling, and I want you to be happy. I'm happy that your dad and I are in a position to help you travel because I know you truly love it. But I miss you when you're gone." Tears sprung to her mother's eyes effectively making Holly feel guilty.

Holly sighed. "Mama, don't cry. I always come home and I promise I always will." Her mother sniffled. "I know. I just wish you'd stay a little longer is all." Holly smiled a little, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm here til the end of October, at least, and then I'll only be gone for five days." Her mom nodded and Holly engulfed her in a hug. "You know I love you, Mommy." "I love you too, sweetheart." Their touching moment ended when the door opened again. While her mother handled the customer, Holly thought about what she'd said. Did she have a crush on Daryl? She rolled her eyes. Of course not. The day before had been the first time they'd really talked. Sure she thought he was extremely attractive, but she barely knew him. She could see how she could easily develop a crush, though.

When lunch rush came, Holly was glad for the distraction. She was working so quickly she barely had time to breathe. Most people would call her crazy, but lunch rush was her favorite time at work. She had always loved anything fast paced and exciting. It wasn't that she never liked to slow down, she just really loved the rush of being active and busy. The rush usually lasted about two hours. From noon until two, they were swamped. Things usually picked back up a little bit around 3:30 or so when older kids got out of school.

The bakery closed at five every evening. At about five minutes til five that evening, Holly stretched her legs behind her and then stretched her arms over her head. "Goin' for a run?" her mom asked as she counted the register. "Yep. Didn't get to yesterdy. I can stay if you need me." Her mom shook her head. "Just finished." They walked out to the parking lot together, her mother locking up behind them. Holly put her earphones in and waved to her mother as she started for the sidewalk.

There was nothing better in the world to clear her head than a run. She loved the adrenaline rush, the way her heart beat faster, her hair bouncing in a messy ponytail. Running made her feel alive. It made her feel infinitely free. Nothing could stop her.

She followed the sidewalk down Main Street, turned on Old Farm Road, and ran past the pharmacy and the diner. She turned onto Magnolia Row and kept going, past her apartment complex. She reached the end of the road and turned on Derryfield. Past the post office and the bank, there was a small park. Her mama often took Lillie there to walk around the short trail that led to a little pond by the road. She turned back down onto Main Street then.

The route she took was roughly two miles, and with the Georgia sun beating down on her back, Holly was sweaty and out of breath when she reached her car. She threw open the driver's side door and started the car. The air conditioning always took a minute or two to get going, but when it did, it was the sweetest thing Holly had ever felt. She sighed in relief, then buckled herself in and pulled out of the parking lot. She was back at her apartment in no time.

When she was locked inside her apartment, she took off her shoes and socks. Giuseppe looked up at her from his spot on the couch. She went to the kitchen for a drink and then went to her bedroom to finish the book she was reading. Giuseppe came in and jumped up onto the foot of the bed and curled up. She smiled when he started purring. They stayed that way for an hour or two until her phone rang. Holly picked up her phone from her bedside table and saw Maggie's name and number on the screen.

"Hello?" "What are you doin' Saturdy night?" Holly sat up. "Nothin' that I know of." She grinned. "Good. I got someone I want you to meet. Some friends are goin' down to the bar around nine." "Count me in." She could tell that Maggie was excited. "Great." After a brief conversation, Holly and Maggie hung up. Holly pulled her knees to her chest and smiled at Giuseppe. He purred and slowly closed his eyes.

The next few days seemed to drag by. Holly went to work, went for her daily run, and went to bed at the same time every day. She was really looking forward to Saturday night and wondered if she should invite Daryl. She hadn't seen him since that Sunday, but her dad apparently talked about him to her mom a lot. He'd reported that Daryl was a quick learner, smart as a whip, and a hard worker. He also joked about him being red as a lobster from working in the sun all day.

Thursday afternoon Holly decided to try and catch Daryl before he went home. She drove over to the building where her father met with clients and the guys parked their trucks (her dad insisted they take company trucks to job sites). His truck was still in the parking lot when she got there. She decided to wait for him to come out of the building. She didn't want her dad getting the wrong idea. In the passenger seat was a red gift bag with tissue paper sticking out. When Daryl came out the door, she grabbed it and opened her door. He looked surprised to find her standing by his truck.

"Hey," he said quietly. She smiled and took the gift bag from behind her back. "Hey." Daryl looked at the bag warily as she held it out. "What's this?" he asked. "If I tell you, it won't be as funny when you open it." He eyed her for a moment before he opened the bag. A small smile spread across his lips when he pulled out the large bottle of sunscreen. "Just a tip, people think higher SPF means more protection, but that's not true. Anything higher than SPF 50 doesn't really increase protection." He chuckled. "Thanks." He put it back in the bag and felt another bottle. He pulled it out and read the label. "Aloe vera, for the burn you already have. I, personally, prefer the gel to the lotion. Also, it feels amazing on sunburn when you put it in the fridge first." He nodded. "So, um, I wanted to catch you here because to be honest, I haven't seen you since Sundy and I don't really wanna bother you..." "What's up?" "You got plans for Saturdy night?"


	10. Chapter 10

Daryl wasn't sure what was going on. He shrugged. Holly bit her lip. "Maggie wanted me to come meet her and some friends at the bar at nine or so and I just wanted to see if you wanted to come with." He studied her face. The freckles that splashed across her face were light, but noticeable. Her eyes were the same shade of blue as her dad's but her lips were full like her mom's. She wasn't extraordinarily beautiful; her jaw was a little square and her ears always stuck out of her hair. He realized he'd been staring at her for an awkward amount of time and blushed. "You wanna come?" she asked, pressing her lips together in a hard line.

"Um...okay..." She smiled. "Great. We can meet at the bar or we can ride together...whatever you want." "You drinkin'?" he asked. "Probably, but I can be the DD if you want..." "No, it's okay. I'll drive." She held up a finger. "Wait here." She went back to her car, rummaged around for a moment, then came back with a piece of scrap paper. She handed it to Daryl. "This is my number and that's my address. If you need directions, just call." He nodded, folding the paper and putting it in his pocket. "Well, you probably don't wanna stand her gabbin' with me so I'll let you go. But, uh, I'll see you Saturdy?" He nodded and a smile formed at the corners of her lips. She turned and got back in her car.

He watched her drive out of the parking lot as some of the other guys came out of the building. He opened the door of his truck, put the gift bag with the sunscreen in the passenger's seat, then climbed up and shut the door before Brandi's brother could stop to tease him. He knew Travis didn't really mean anything by it, but high school was a long time ago and the past was in the past. He cranked the engine and waved at Holly's dad as he pulled out of the parking lot, the paper she'd given him with her number burning in his pocket.

When he got home Merle was watching TV in the living room with their dad. He looked up when Daryl came in. "Well, if it ain't the workin' man. I wanna talk to you 'bout your birthday." Daryl sighed. "Ain't nothin' to talk about," he said. "Nonsense. I done ordered your cake." Daryl rolled his eyes. "I got plans," he said, instantly wishing he hadn't. "Plans? What plans?" "I'm goin' huntin' with some people from work tomorrow and on Saturdy I'm goin' to a party with a friend." Merle eyed him suspiciously. "You ain't got friends," he spat. Maybe that was true, but he didn't know what else to call Holly. Acquaintance didn't feel right since he'd been in her parents' house and was going hunting with her dad.

Merle laughed. "Boy, you are the shittiest liar I have ever met." "I ain't lyin'. I'm fuckin' busy and I don't want no hookers so you can fuck off with that shit." Merle wiped a tear from his eye as his laughing fit continued. Daryl tried not to let it get to him. They'd know he was at least being honest about hunting when he didn't come home after work. "What kind o' party you goin' to, huh? Your new work friends throwin' ya a birthday shindig and you weren't gonna invite your own brother?" Daryl rolled his eyes. "They don't even know it's my birthday. And anyway, it ain't none o' your concern." Merle huffed. "Whatever. Ya ungrateful shit." Daryl ignored him and went into the kitchen to put his aloe gel in the fridge and make something to eat.

After making himself a sandwich he lumbered off to his bedroom to eat in peace. While he ate he wondered what he'd gotten himself into. He had abandoned the theory that Merle had put Holly up to being nice to him. It was outlandish and stupid and if Merle wanted to humiliate him, he wouldn't be so subtle about it. But that meant she was only being nice because he worked for her dad. He supposed there was a small chance that her kindness was just part of her personality, given the way her parents were; but even if that were so, why would she track him down at work to give him sunscreen and ask him to come to a bar with her? She could have asked anyone. He wasn't the only single guy at work and he definitely wasn't the best looking.

He finished his sandwich, unlaced his boots, and kicked them off. He took his shirt off and leaned back. The cool sheets felt soothing on his sunburned arms. He closed his eyes. He enjoyed his job, surprisingly enough. He loved being outdoors and working with his hands. The guys he worked with were pretty laid-back and nice. They all joked around with each other and picked on him for being the new guy, but it was just in jest. Travis was particularly hard on him, but he ignored it for the most part. The worst part of the job was the heat and the sunburn, but he vowed to himself to start wearing sunscreen. Soon he drifted off to a heavy sleep.

The next morning he carried his gun and some bullets down to his truck on his way out of the house. He was actually looking forward to going squirrel hunting with Jeff and the other guys. As far as birthdays went, it was the best way he could think to spend it. He was in a great mood by the time he parked in his usual space and hopped out of his truck. The boss was just coming in as he started for the front door. He waited for Jeff to catch up. When he did, he clapped Daryl on the back with a big grin. "Well, today's the big day," he said. "And a little birdy told me it was your birthday." Daryl tensed momentarily. "Who told ya that?" he asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. If Jeff noticed he didn't mention it. "Holly."

"Oh..." "What?" "I just...I didn't tell her it was my birthday," he said. "Oh, well she said your brother came in and ordered a cake a couple weeks ago." So Merle hadn't been screwing with him then. Daryl frowned. "Someone should be comin' by the office around one to bring some cupcakes. Probably Holly," Jeff told him. "Oh, I don't want y'all to go to any trouble. It's no big deal." Jeff clapped him on the shoulder again as they entered the building. "It ain't no trouble. My wife loves bakin', Holly loves gettin' outta the bakery, everybody loves cupcakes...it's just a winnin' situation all around."

Daryl, Travis, and the other roofer, Julio, had been sent to put the roof on a new house being built on the lake. Their lunch break was at one o'clock and Jeff had called them all back down to the office. Daryl endured some light ribbing on the way back to the office, but it wasn't too bad. His mood was too good to let Travis worm his way under his skin. They pulled into the parking lot fifteen minutes later and Daryl parked the truck. In the conference room Daryl and his co-workers found the rest of the guys plus Holly eating lunch and waiting for them. On the table was a box of cupcakes.

After a rather loud rendition of 'Happy Birthday' in two languages, Daryl was given a cupcake with a candle in it and told to make a wish. He didn't hesitate. He wished for the same thing every year even though he thought making wishes on birthday candles was a crock of shit. For as long as he could remember, Daryl wished for a normal life on his birthday. He still wanted to live in Wyatt, maybe even still in the woods, but he wanted a family that actually loved each other. He wouldn't object to a pretty girlfriend either. He blew out the candle and earned himself a round of applause. He took the candle out, licked the icing off, and peeled the wrapper off.

Everyone grabbed a cupcake as Daryl bit into his. It was the best damn cupcake he'd ever eaten in his entire life, way better than the store bought ones. It was crumby and moist vanilla cake with the most mouthwatering chocolate frosting he'd ever experienced. He closed his eyes as it melted in his mouth. "Sooo goooood," he muttered. Everyone got a good laugh out of that. "I'll be sure to tell mama you liked it. They're French vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting." It was gone too soon. He didn't know what to say, all he knew was he wanted more. The sandwich he'd packed himself was left forgotten in the fridge as he reached for another cupcake. "Amazing." Jeff guffawed. "Looks like Dixon's in _love_ ," Travis sneered. Holly rolled her eyes. "Let 'im be, Travis. It's his birthday for cryin' out loud."

After half an hour Daryl, Travis, and Julio had to leave to get back to work. Holly walked them out. "See y'all!" she called, climbing into her car and cranking the engine. Daryl drove the company truck back out to the work site and the three of them jumped out and immediately got to work. After an hour of work in the sun, Daryl wished he'd eaten his sandwich. His stomach gurgled but he ignored it. He'd eat it when he got back to the office.

By quitting time they had almost finished. It would take another day to be completely done, and Daryl would volunteer to work on Saturday. Travis had already complained about it, so Daryl figured he wouldn't volunteer. Julio worked as hard as Daryl and he figured they wouldn't need Travis to finish up. Travis drove them back to the office. The three of them punched out and Travis immediately headed for the parking lot. Jeff came out of the office a few minutes later and Julio and Daryl both volunteered to finish the roof the next day.

When everyone else had cleared out, Daryl went out to his truck. Jeff and his brother Tim came out of the building a moment later. Daryl followed them down to Jeff's house. They parked and got out of their trucks, Daryl and Tim grabbing their guns and ammo, then they went inside. The dogs went crazy. Jeff opened the back door to let them go outside. A few minutes later Donna walked in. She grinned. "Well, hey, y'all." She kissed Jeff chastely on the lips. "I figured y'all would be out by now. You takin' Ol' Red?" "Yeah. Just lettin' him get his excitement out." A few minutes later Jeff grabbed his own gun and ammo and Red led the way into the woods.

It was peaceful out there and Daryl loved it. The woods was where he felt most comfortable; he was in his element. He breathed in the smell of pine needles and honeysuckle as they meandered through the woods. Squirrel hunting was different than hunting deer. He almost liked it better. Squirrels moved quickly so you always had to be on your guard. They were just as easily spooked as deer, but they were a lot smaller, making them more challenging to hit. He always felt a sense of pride when he got one in the head, which is where you really want to get them so you don't ruin the meat.

They stayed out in the woods until the sun was going down. Daryl had gotten seven squirrels, Tim shot four, and Jeff had gotten five. Red trotted down a man-made path back to the house with the humans following close behind. When they got back up to the house they laid their kills out on a patio table with some plywood over it, separated so they'd know whose was whose. Then they went inside to wash their hands.

Donna came in with Holly in tow while Daryl was scrubbing his hands. They were both smiling. "Hey, y'all. How was the hunt?" "Went good. What're you doin' here, Holly?" Holly smiled at her dad. "I actually came over right after y'all left. I was gonna invite myself on your huntin' trip but y'all were already gone so I just stayed and talked to mama." Jeff frowned. "Oh, I didn't know you wanted to come. I'll take you out with us next time, sweetie." She grinned. "Okay." Tim left shortly after with his kills. "There's some meatloaf in the fridge. Let me heat you up a plate," Donna said to Daryl when he was about to take his leave.

"I don't want to impose..." "No such thing in my house, sweetie. Make yourself comfortable. Holly, baby, show him to the dinin' room. I'll be right in with your meatloaf." Protesting was futile so he followed Holly to the dining room. "You hunt?" he asked awkwardly as they sat at the table. "Yep. My dad took me out for the first time when I was like five or so." "I didn't expect that," he admitted. She gave him a sly smile. "Well, I do eat meat, though a lot of people assume I don't when they meet me. The thing about huntin' is I'm totally fine with it if you do it for the meat. If you actually eat what you kill, then by all means, hunt away. If you do it for sport, you're an asshole." Daryl laughed. "But for me, even if I don't shoot anything, it's okay. I like goin' out for the quiet of the woods. It's a bonding thing with my dad, if that makes any sense at all. We don't speak, but just being there together in head to toe camouflage with doe piss on our shoes is enough." Daryl nodded. He definitely understood that. Holly smiled at him. "So, how many squirrels did ya get?" she asked. "I got seven." "Nice. Bet that'll make a big ol' pot o' squirrel gravy." He grinned. "You like squirrel gravy?" he asked. "Of course." He chuckled. "What?" He shrugged. "Nothin'." "Naw, tell me." Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity. "I don't know why it surprises me, after you just told me you hunt."

Her mom came in with a steaming plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. She set it down in front of him. "Enjoy." "Thank you." Daryl dug in while Holly texted idly and her mom went to back to the kitchen. Daryl had figured if the fried chicken he'd had that Sunday was any indication, the meatloaf would be just as delectable. He hadn't anticipated this. The meat was juicy, perfectly seasoned, and sliced thick. "Is all your mama's food this good?" he asked. Holly grinned. "Yep, so you better be careful. Too much of it and you won't be able to get up on people's roofs anymore." He grunted. "How d'you stay so skinny?" he asked, taking a taste of the mashed potatoes. _My God_ , he thought. "I run. Every day. _At least_   one mile. Plus I swim in the lake, occasionally go to the gym, and I leave town quite a lot."

Daryl tried the green beans. He had no words for the way he was feeling, but Holly did. "What you are experiencing, my friend, is called a foodgasm." That was exactly the word he needed. "Do _you_   cook like this?" he asked. She smirked. "You'll just have to find out," she said. He gave her a puzzled look. "Why don't you come to my apartment for dinner tomorrow around seven? There's some recipes I picked up in South America that my parents aren't adventurous enough to try." He bit his lip. He pretty much stuck to what he knew, which was wild game, fresh caught fish, and sandwiches. She smiled at him. "Nothin' weird, I promise. Empanadas, rice, and black beans." "What's an em-pan-da?" he asked. She giggled. "No...em-pa-na-da...It's like a tasty meat pocket." He repeated it slowly, earning a smile when he got it right.

"I like meat," he said stupidly. His cheeks went hot. "Yeah, I'll come over at seven." She smiled. Daryl continued eating and thinking about what he was doing, going with her to a bar. He didn't do this kind of stuff. This was the shit that Merle did. "Why are you scowling?" Holly asked. He looked up, his face smoothing itself out. "Sorry." He took another bite to avoid conversation. What were they going to do after dinner? Surely that wouldn't take two whole hours and they weren't going to the bar until nine.

He tried not to worry about it too much. Maybe empanadas took a long time to make and she was allotting time for that. Holly's parents came in and sat down a moment later. They talked for a little while, mostly about going hunting again and taking Holly. Before he knew it, it was almost eight o'clock. "I should go. Gotta get up early tomorrow. Thanks for dinner...and the cupcakes. It was all amazing." Donna smiled. "I'm glad you liked it. And happy birthday." "Thanks." She took his plate and Daryl went out to grab his squirrels and head home. Holly walked with him. "Well, see ya tomorrow." She smiled. "Can't wait." When he was about to get in she called, "happy birthday!" "Thanks!" he called back, shutting the door of his truck. Truthfully it had been the best birthday he'd had in a long time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a bonus Daryl chapter! I didn't want the last chapter to be insanely long so I broke it up.

When Daryl pulled into the driveway his blood was boiling. There were cars, trucks, and motorcycles all over the place. Had he not specifically said he didn't want any of Merle's bullshit? When the screen door banged shut behind Daryl, Merle cheered. "Hey, hey! There's the birthday boy!" Daryl rolled his eyes. It wasn't even half past eight and Merle was lit. A huge cake in the center of the room caught his attention. "Jesus," he sighed, knowing what a cake that size meant. "Now we can get this party started!" The rest of the people in the living room cheered loudly. "I said I didn't want none o' this shit, Merle." But Merle wouldn't have any of his protesting. "You're only twenty-nine once, little brother!"

Most everyone in the room was drunk or high and the drinks kept on flowing. Daryl refused to drink, though he knew he might actually have fun if he did. All he really wanted to do was go to his room and be alone until he fell asleep. Several girls were lavishing him with attention and it made him uncomfortable. One sat herself right down in his lap and started peppering his cheek with little kisses. He really wished she'd stop.

He didn't have to wait long for the main event. At nine o'clock Merle yelled, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Immediately the cake burst to life and a girl in hot pink lingerie popped up, pieces of cake and icing dangling from her brown hair. "You like 'er, brother? I tried to get that little sugar from the bakery to pop out but she wouldn't do it." Merle guffawed and the others joined in. Daryl was dangerously close to snapping. His brother had been talking about Holly, Daryl was sure of it. He didn't have time to think. The girl that was on his lap moved to turn on some music and the stripper was coming closer.

"I done paid her for the lap dance," Merle informed him. "Then she can dance on you. I'm out." He stood up, clenching his fists. "Out? Where do ya think you're goin'? It's your birthday! This is your damn party!" "I don't want the damn party. I want to go to bed. I gotta work tomorrow." Merle rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh, come on!" One of the hookers went over and draped herself on his arm. "Why don't you show me your room?" she asked with a wink. He couldn't lie and say it wasn't tempting, but he never really cared for hookers the way Merle did. "Not gonna happen," he growled. He tore his arm away from her and stomped off to his bedroom. He slammed the door to show Merle he was serious, locked it, and jumped backwards onto the bed.

The party went until the wee hours of the morning which infuriated Daryl to no end. He was going to be tired at work and if that took all day, he'd still be tired when he went over to Holly's. He finally fell asleep despite the noise around two in the morning.

He was rushed to get out the door the next morning. He barely made it to the office by eight. Julio was waiting for him in the company truck. Daryl cut the engine to his truck and got out. He jogged over the company truck and climbed in. "Sorry, I hope you ain't been here long," he grumbled. "S'okay," Julio replied. He didn't speak much. Daryl wondered if it was because he was self-conscious about his heavy accent. So they rode in silence over to the construction site. Out of the two roofers, besides himself, that Jeff employed, Julio was Daryl's favorite to work with. Travis was loud and obnoxious and pushed people's buttons. Julio, on the other hand, was quiet and worked harder than most anyone Daryl had ever worked with. He had high hopes he'd get to take a nap before heading over to Holly's.

When they reached the house they immediately got to work. It didn't take long for Daryl to realize he'd forgotten the sunscreen again. He sighed, sweat running down his face, and put another tile in place. They finished by noon and climbed back down the ladder one at a time. Jeff pulled up as Daryl was bringing the ladder down. "Hey, boys!" he called, stepping out of the truck. "Good work. I wasn't sure how long it'd take." Daryl held the ladder up with one arm and wiped sweat from his face with the other. "Y'all hungry? I was just about to fix some lunch." Without waiting for an answer he said, "I'll meet y'all over at the house," and got back in his truck and took off.

Julio drove, apparently knowing the way. They pulled in behind the boss' truck and got out. Julio walked ahead. As they approached the house they heard barking. Julio opened the door and Daryl followed him in, wondering how often Julio had been there. In the wide entry way Julio bent down to pet each of the dogs. Lillie, the little Pomeranian jumped excitedly at Daryl's legs. "Hey, girl," he said, smiling a little. She was like a little live teddy bear.

Jeff was in the kitchen. "Hoagie sandwiches okay?" he asked as they entered the kitchen. Daryl didn't care, he was starving. He hadn't had time to eat breakfast. Julio nodded as Jeff pulled out a bunch of stuff from the fridge. "Got potato salad in here too, or chips. Whatever y'all want. Make yourselves at home." A few minutes later they were all sitting around the dining room table with sandwiches and sweet tea. "Julio, you sure you don't wanna try your hand at huntin', son?" Jeff asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. Julio smiled sheepishly and shook his head. "No, thank you, Mr. Jeff." Jeff shook his head with a feigned sad expression. "Well, what are you boys up to this evenin'? Chasin' girls?" Jeff joked. Julio had no plans apparently except to visit his grandmother in the nursing home.

Daryl wasn't sure if his plans with Holly were meant to be kept from her parents or not. He didn't see why they would be. She seemed to have a good relationship with them and Wyatt was a small town anyway. People were bound to see them and talk. He wiped some crumbs from his facial hair. "Holly invited me to hang out with her and some friends," he admitted. "Oh, that's right. Her mama was tellin' me about that the other day. Said you was supposed to have dinner with her." He winked, causing a blush to creep up to Daryl's cheeks. "Um, yeah. She said she wanted to make some kind of meat pocket thing. Said you guys didn't want to try it." He glanced over at Julio whose head was down but he could see a small grin on his face. Jeff took a sip of his tea and nodded. "She's a bit more adventurous with her food, my daughter. When she was a youngen, knee high to a grasshopper, she'd experiment with all kinds o' weird stuff in her Easy Bake Oven. Sometimes it turned out pretty good, sometimes I had to force it down and wash my mouth out later."

Daryl tried to suppress a smile. He could imagine a tiny Holly baking weird cakes for her dad. It was actually really cute. "Not to scare ya, son. I'm sure whatever she makes you will taste just fine. Holly said you volunteered to be the designated driver." Daryl nodded. "That was nice of ya." He shrugged. "'M not a nice drunk." Jeff laughed and turned his attention back to Julio. The three of them talked until they had finished their food. "There's some grasshopper pie in the fridge. Donna made it yesterdy," Jeff said. He stood and Daryl and Julio followed him to the kitchen. They each had a generous slice. "This was one of the first desserts Donna ever made for me. Grasshopper pie is my favorite pie."

After dessert and a little conversation, Daryl followed Julio out to the company truck. Jeff waved from the front porch. "Y'all take care, and thanks for gettin' that roof done!" They waved and hopped in the truck. Julio drove to the office and parked. The two of them stepped out. "See ya Mondy," Daryl said. Julio waved as Daryl climbed into his own truck. He was home by four. Merle was outside smoking a cigarette and talking to someone on his cell. He hung up before Daryl got out of the truck.

"Well, if it ain't my party poopin' little brother," he said with a smirk. "Fuck off." "Who pissed in your corn flakes, huh? Where ya been at?" Daryl rolled his eyes. "Told ya I had to finish a job today." "Took ya long enough." Daryl sighed. "What's it to ya anyway?" He just wanted a nap. Just an hour or two before he went over to Holly's for dinner. Merle shrugged. "Just noticed ya ain't been spendin' much time at home. Always workin' or huntin' with your boss or goin' to the lake with that girl from the bakery." "Yeah, well, I got a life. Deal with it." He stomped past his brother into the house. His dad sat in his recliner like always, hacking up blood.

He went to the kitchen to get some aloe gel before he went to his room and set his alarm for a quarter to six. He wanted to shower before he went over to Holly's. When his alarm was set he removed his work boots and shirt and settled into his bed. It was hot in the room and his skin felt kind of sticky because of the cold aloe vera gel. The ceiling fan only served to swirl the hot air around. It made it difficult to sleep, but eventually Daryl managed to doze off.

He woke with a jump a few minutes before his alarm was set to go off. He'd been dreaming he was working on a roof and he fell through. His body had reacted before he could hit the floor though, and he wiped sweat from his neck and sat up. He rubbed his face, trying to wake himself up. Finally he got up and gathered some clean clothes. He wasn't really sure what to wear. It was only a bar, so he didn't need to dress up, but he found himself wanting to look decent for Holly. _Don't be a pussy_ , he thought to himself. _She don't like you anyway_. Still, he grabbed a plain black t-shirt and the least ripped up jeans he owned. He walked into the bathroom and undressed. He stood under the hot water for a minute and let it relax his tired muscles. He liked the feeling of being sore from a long day at work. It made him feel like he was more than a waste of space.

When he was finished in the shower he stepped out and toweled off. He took his time getting dressed, second guessing himself every few seconds. _Do I look stupid? Will she like this? What am I doing? Why does she want me to go to the stupid bar with her anyway? What if I make myself look like an ass in front of her friends?_ All these questions burned in his mind until finally he asked himself, _Why do I care?_

He frowned at his reflection. His face was red from hours in the sun. His hair stuck to his forehead, wet from the shower. _Should I shave?_ he wondered. He'd always kept at least some facial hair since it started growing in. He kept frowning at his face in the mirror until a loud banging noise brought him back to reality. "What are you doin' in there? I gotta piss!" Daryl gathered his dirty clothes and opened the door. "All yours," he told Merle calmly. "Well, look at you gettin' all dolled up." He smirked and sniffed the air. "Smell perty too. You finally gonna get some pussy?" he asked. Daryl shoved past him back to his bedroom, trying to ignore Merle's laughter.

He put his dirty clothes in the hamper by his dresser and checked the time. He didn't want to get there too early because he didn't want to seem too eager, but he also didn't want to be late in case she thought he didn't want to hang out with her. He sighed in frustration. He'd never been this way before about any girl. Not even Brandi. With Brandi, she always told him exactly what she wanted and exactly what her intentions were. There was no guessing. With Holly, though, he had no idea. Maybe she wanted to be friends. Maybe she was just as curious about him as he was about her. He just didn't know.

He grabbed his wallet and put on his thick-soled black boots. His shoes made little thuds across the wooden floors as he made a hasty exit. A thought struck him as he cranked the engine of his truck. _Should I bring her something?_   He thought of the sunscreen and the aloe. "Shit," he sighed. He had no idea what she liked. He thought flowers might seem like he was trying too hard, but what else do you give girls? He shook his head and decided not to over think it. He'd just buy her a couple rounds at the bar.

He was pretty sure he could get to her apartment with the directions she'd written down, which he had in his wallet. He took out the paper and pulled out of the drive. He glanced at the paper as he finally reached the edge of town. Several turns later he pulled into Magnolia Crescent apartments and slowed way down to look at the numbers on the buildings. When he found hers, he parked. He folded the directions and put them in the glove compartment. Suddenly his stomach was doing cartwheels and his palms were sweaty. The clock on his phone told him he had a few minutes. He wiped his palms on his jeans and took another deep breath. _Stop being stupid_ , he told himself. It was only dinner and going to a bar. To meet her friends. He started feeling more and more nervous as time went by.

Finally he had to get out of the truck. It was sweltering and he didn't want to be completely soaked with sweat when he got up to her apartment. He walked up one flight of stairs to the second floor. Second door on the left. He took one last deep breath and rang the door bell. Holly opened the door and beamed at him. She was wearing a lime green tank top, gray running shorts, and was holding a fluffy white and gray cat. She stepped back to let Daryl in and shut the door behind him. "So I take it my directions were good?" He nodded.


	12. Chapter 12

Holly tried to keep her smiling to a minimum but it was difficult. She was excited to see Daryl and nervous at the same time. She was worried he wouldn't like her empanadas and she was scared of making a fool of herself. She bit her lip to stifle another grin as Giuseppe leaped from her arms. "You look nice," she told him, enjoying the way the black fabric of his shirt stretched across his shoulder and arm muscles. "Oh, thanks...you..." She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "I just got back from a run. I'm fully aware that I look gross," she told him with a little laugh. He shook his head, his eyes widening a little. "No, you don't," he murmured. She smiled at him.

"You want some tea or somethin'? It's hotter than Satan's asshole out there," she said, turning towards the kitchen. Daryl laughed. "Sure," he said. He followed her into the kitchen. She pulled down two plastic green cups and opened the fridge. "Um, I got sweet tea, water, milk, orange juice, apple juice, grape juice, and cherry Pepsi." She noticed him wiping his hands down his jeans and wondered if he was nervous. "Um, water's fine," he said. "You want ice?" "Sure." She made him a glass of ice water and then made one for herself. She took a long sip and then set her glass down. She had made the dough for the empanadas before going for a run.

"So I'm gonna start dinner," she said, not really sure what else to say. She wanted to get to know Daryl, but whenever she was around him she felt...a lot of things. Weird. Nervous. Giddy. Like she was walking on air and eggshells at the same time. He nodded. "Need help?" _Fuck, he's adorable_ , she thought. "Um, sure. Thanks." They chatted as they peeled potatoes and chopped peppers. "So where'd you learn to make these?" Daryl asked as Holly filled a pot with water for the rice. "Well, the condensed version is that I learned from a chef slash restaurant owner in Bogotá, Colombia. The long version involves a lot of backstory which my brother told me sounds a lot like bragging," she replied. She saw the corners of Daryl's lips turn up slightly.

"I'd like to hear it," he told her. She smiled. "Well, okay, but if it gets annoying, just tell me and I'll shut up." He nodded. "Okay, so the journey to making tasty meat pockets begins a little over a year ago. I had been back from a brief tour of Europe for about six months and I was feeling the itch to travel. My freshman year of college I met Cristina Moreno, a feisty, outgoing, and outrageously hot Colombian. She happened to be my roommate. Naturally we became fast friends. Fast forward. So I was stricken with wanderlust and Cristina calls me up and says she's got the opportunity of a lifetime for me." Daryl nodded, chopping potatoes into tiny pieces. "So she tells me she's gotten this insane opportunity to write a book for this company in California and she had talked to them and they agreed to also pay _me_   to go with her and document everything with pictures. I mean, it was insanely perfect. Traveling and photography are the things I love most in this world..." Giuseppe meowed indignantly. "Besides my handsome Giuseppe, of course."

Daryl put the potatoes on to boil while Holly stirred the rice and started cooking the peppers, onions, and garlic for the empanada filling. "So of course I tell her hell yes I'll come. The best part was they gave us this huge advance so we had some money when we got there. Anyway, we start our adventure off in Chile, where we stay for two months. We lived in Santiago and we basically went around eating Chilean food and observing the culture and meeting all these amazing new people and we were getting paid to do it! So after two months we leave and make our way to Buenos Aires, Argentina. We stayed in Argentina for three months and I have to say, I had an amazing time. So after we leave Buenos Aires, we go to Bogotá, where we live for another three months."

Holly added the meat to the pan and let it start cooking. "Our first night in Colombia, Cristina wants to go dancing, which has kind become a thing. Our first night in every country we went to on our South American tour we went out to get a feel for the place and ended up at a club. So we get to this night club and the bouncer takes one look at Cristina and immediately lets us through. Like I said, Cristina is outrageously hot. And she's a huge flirt so that helps. So we get into the club and there's, like, a trail of Colombian men following us around like puppies begging Cristina to let them buy her drinks or to dance with them. She waves them off and this guy just sits himself down at the bar right next to her and orders drinks for the both of us. He's real smooth and equally as hot as Cristina so she flirts with him like crazy. This guy turns out to be Matteo Rojas which doesn't seem like a big deal here, but his dad is basically famous in Bogotá because he owns this fancy five star restaurant _and_   is the head chef."

She stirred the meat around, letting it brown. "So Matteo manages to impress Cristina, which is rare." "How'd he manage to impress her?" Holly smiled a little. "Well, he was nice to me for a start. Most guys, when getting involved with Cristina, tend to only look at _her_. They see her looks, but not who she is. She's extremely passionate and an amazing, loyal friend. She loves her friends fiercely, and I am proud to say, she considers me her best friend. The feeling is mutual. Anyway, so Matteo is actually really sweet and he treats Cristina like a queen but they're both passionate with fiery tempers. Watching them fight was a beautiful explosion of flailing hands and Spanish swearing. God, it was gorgeous." Daryl looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "I really, really love Spanish," she explained, going to the cabinet and pulling down a can of tomato sauce.

"So anyway, they hit it off and were basically together all the time the whole time we were in Colombia. One day the three of us were talking and the conversation turned to family and I explained that my mom owns a bakery and that usually when I'm home I work there and do photography on the side for extra cash and for fun. So then we ended up talking about food and he told his dad how much I loved his food because, obviously we had been treated to his restaurant, and his dad asked what I liked most and I said empanadas and so he took me into the kitchen of his fancy restaurant and taught me how to make them himself. And that's the story of how I learned to make empanadas from a famous Colombian chef in the kitchen of his five star restaurant." Daryl smiled. "Impressive." "And braggy." "Not really. Not the way you tell it. I mean, maybe the last line, but the rest of it was really nice." Holly smiled and poured in the tomato sauce. "So what happened with Cristina and her boyfriend when y'all left?"

"Oh, Cristina and Matteo are still together. Cristina moved back to Colombia to help take care of her abuela after she finished her book." "Her what?" "Abuela. Spanish word for grandmother." "Oh." While she let the meat, sauce, and veggies simmer, Holly took the rice off the heat and added some water to the black beans in the crock pot. Then she floured the counter and rolled out the dough. "While I'm gettin' the dough ready, if you could drain the potatoes and add them to the meat pan, I'd appreciate it." Daryl drained the potatoes and added them to the pan. "So, you said you spent two months in Chile, three months in Argentina, and three months in Colombia..." "Right." "But you were gone a year. That only adds up to eight months." "After Colombia, we went to Brazil for four months." She started cutting out circles of dough. "Did you like it?" he asked. "Yes. We lived in Rio most of our time there. Rio's great. I'd like to go back for a short vacation some time. It was gorgeous, but it was harder for me there. I don't speak a lick of Portuguese."

When the empanada shells were ready to be filled, Holly took the filling off the stove and started the oil. "So tell me something about you," she said, filling an empanada and sealing the edges with a fork. "Like what?" She shrugged. "Something I don't know. Anything." She smiled encouragingly at him as he chewed his lip and scowled. "You know everything," he said finally. Holly rolled her eyes but couldn't bite back the smile forming on her lips. "I most certainly do not. I have no idea what your favorite color is or your favorite food. I don't know your hopes and dreams, your goals...I haven't begun to scratch the surface of the mystery that is Daryl Dixon." She continued filling empanadas and waiting. "I'll tell you something first, how 'bout that?" He nodded. "Okay. I'm obsessed with Loretta Lynn. I have a bunch of her albums and you can go see her house and I really want to. I did a project on her in high school. Your turn."

Daryl bit his lip and watched as Holly put a few empanadas in the hot oil. "Um." He shrugged. "I'm a neat freak." She smiled. "Really?" He nodded, blushing slightly. "I'm always cleaning up after my brother," he told her. She chuckled. "Oh, dear. Hate to break it to ya, but I'm a total slob." He smiled a little. Holly went back to filling empanadas while the ones in the pan fried. "So what do you like to do...besides hunt or fish?" Holly asked. "Sleep, mostly," he joked. Holly laughed. "I don't know, honestly. Not much to do and I do spend most o' my time in the woods." "You don't, like, watch movies or read?" He shrugged. "What do you like to do?" "Well, I read a lot. Wow, like a lot. I never really thought about it but yeah. When I'm not workin' at the bakery and I don't have any photography business I just read. That's probably why people are always surprised when they see me out. They didn't know I was even home 'cause I stay holed up in my apartment all the time."

She took the empanadas out and added in new ones. Daryl was leaned up against the counter watching her. It made breathing slightly more difficult but Holly managed to get a grip on herself. He still seemed nervous and uncomfortable, which was really freaking her out. What if he didn't want to be there at all and only agreed because he works for her dad and doesn't want to be rude? "You okay?" Daryl asked. "What? Yeah, why?" He shrugged. "You look...I dunno...nervous or somethin'," he grumbled. "Sorry. I guess I am kind of nervous," she admitted. "What for?" She bit her lip. "I'm worried you won't like the empanadas," she told him. He shrugged. "They smell good."

"Moment of truth," Holly said a few minutes later as they sat down at the table with plates. They each took a bite of an empanada at the same time. Holly thought it was delicious but she really wanted to know what Daryl thought. He swallowed and immediately took another bite. She frowned. He hadn't made any foodgasm noises like he did with her mom's food. He swallowed again. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. "So, do you like it?" Daryl nodded. "They're real good." Holly smiled a little, hoping he wasn't just being nice.

"I don't know about you but I'm so ready for August to be over," Holly said. "It's just too damn hot." Daryl nodded. "Plus it'll be deer season soon, at least for me." "You hunt with a bow?" He nodded. "Oh, that's so cool. I never knew that. I always wanted to learn but my daddy just hunts with guns." He shrugged. "I could teach ya." Holly almost squealed with excitement. "Really?" Daryl shrugged again with a little nod. "Yeah. My crossbow's pretty heavy, though." "I'll ask my dad to take me to get something. You could teach me on a regular bow, right?" He nodded. She clapped excitedly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He smiled a little. "No big deal."

After dinner, Daryl insisted on helping clean up. "Thanks," Holly said, finally giving in. "No problem." When the kitchen was clean it was a little after eight. "I need to go get ready. You're more than welcome to watch TV or whatever." She showed him to the living room where Giuseppe was curled up in his favorite spot on the couch. Daryl sat on the other end and Holly handed him the remote. "I'll try not to take forever," she said. He nodded and she turned and went down the hall.

Her bathroom, like the rest of her apartment, was small and cramped. She undressed and tossed her dirty clothes in a pile in the corner. She turned on the water, let it heat up, then stepped in and let it run over her body. She sighed as she scrubbed her hair. She hoped that this wasn't a total disaster. Her mother had made her promise to only have a few drinks so she wouldn't get completely trashed and make a fool of herself. Holly had agreed, mostly because she didn't want to do or say something stupid in front of Daryl. Maybe it was too soon to really tell, but she couldn't deny she was attracted to him, which could really make her life complicated.


	13. Chapter 13

As soon as Holly was out of sight her cat stretched and stared at Daryl. He tried to ignore him by staring at the TV, but Giuseppe wasn't easy to ignore. He slowly made his way over and sniffed Daryl. "Um...hi, kitty," he said awkwardly. Giuseppe made a chirping noise in his throat and casually crawled into Daryl's lap. Daryl figured that was a big deal and scratched him behind the ears. Giuseppe immediately began purring loudly. Pretty soon the TV was forgotten and Daryl was just petting Giuseppe and scratching under his chin. They stayed that way until Holly came in. The second Giuseppe saw her he jumped off the couch to greet her. "Hey there, handsome."

Daryl couldn't stop staring at her. She wore a pair of light colored Daisy Duke's, a white tank top, and brown cowboy boots. Her long brown hair was still wet and unbrushed. Her blue eyes lit up when she had seen Daryl and Giuseppe on the couch. "How long was he on your lap?" she asked. "Since you left the room." Her jaw dropped. "Holy shit! He _never_   does that." Daryl bit his lip to keep from smiling. He'd always kind of liked cats more than dogs. "Well, looks like you're stuck with us. Welcome to the family," Holly said with a grin. "He doesn't like anyone?" Daryl asked. "Well, he likes my family, but that took some time. And he likes Cristina. But, like, even Shawn he's just generally indifferent to. Unless he gets too close. Shawn can't hug me in front of Giuseppe." Daryl rubbed Giuseppe's chin idly, thinking about that.

"Shawn comin' tonight?" he asked, trying to sound casual. He knew it didn't make sense for him to feel such animosity toward him. He barely knew the guy. He barely knew Holly for that matter, though he knew her a lot better after dinner and everything. Still, he felt a jealousy toward Shawn he couldn't explain. Holly wasn't his girlfriend and she never would be so he couldn't see why it bothered him so much that she hung out with Shawn Greene. "Yeah, he'll be there. I think it's his first time meeting Maggie's new boyfriend too." Daryl nodded. Holly smiled a little. "There you go scowlin' again. What's the deal with y'all anyway? Any time I mention one of you to the other, y'all get all...I don't know...pissy." "You talk about me to him?" Holly shrugged. "I talked to him the other day and mentioned I'd asked you to come with me to the bar, which he'd already heard from, like, three other people."

Daryl tried to process that. He knew people in Wyatt talked but he hadn't expected him becoming friends with Holly would be such a big deal. "He doesn't like me much, does he?" Daryl asked. "Do you actually care?" Daryl shrugged. He didn't care whether or not Shawn liked him, but he cared about how that would affect Holly's opinion of him. "He's jealous, I think." Daryl looked at her, confused. "Well, it's kinda complicated, I guess. Um, well, my mom likes to play matchmaker and she always just kind of expected me and Shawn to get together, but I never wanted that. I've never seen Shawn in that way, but he always kinda liked me. He hates Travis, too. He hates him worse than you. Anyway, basically my mom always thought Shawn and I should get together but now she doesn't." Daryl was still pretty confused. "But how does that have anything to do with me?" he asked. Holly bit her lip as her cheeks reddened. "Um, well, my mom has finally accepted that Shawn and I are just never going to happen and ever since you came to the lake with me, my mom seems to think there's somethin' between us."

Daryl didn't know whether to laugh or not. Surely she was joking. They barely knew each other. "Anyway, just ignore my mom. She does this all the time with all the single people she knows. It's not really a big deal." "Wait, so you're not kiddin'?" Holly shook her head. He probably could have asked a hundred more questions but decided to change the subject. "We better go." "I just need to brush my hair." She scurried off to the bathroom and emerged several minutes later. With hair that long it must take forever to take care of.

They were pretty quiet all the way to the bar. Daryl figured it was his fault. He wasn't much of a talker because he didn't have much to talk about. He pulled into the parking lot and parked his truck. "I'll get your door," Daryl muttered as they unbuckled. "Oh...thank you." He climbed out and opened the passenger door. She steadied herself on his shoulder and climbed out. "Oh, I see Maggie's car," Holly said as they walked through the parking lot. Daryl opened the door and let Holly go in first.

The bar wasn't very crowded yet. There were two pool tables towards the back of the bar, only one of which was being used. Instinctively Daryl looked for Merle and relaxed when there was no sign of him. Holly waved and Daryl looked over. Maggie, Shawn, some Asian guy, Travis, Erica from the diner, and several of the guys who worked at Morrison's were over by the bar with drinks in their hands. "Hey, Holly, what can I get ya?" the bartender asked as the two of them approached. He had graduated a couple years ahead of Daryl. "Hey, Matt. Red wine spritzer." Daryl had never heard of that before but Matt made it quickly and handed it to Holly. He looked at Daryl. "Just a bottle o' water. Designated driver." He put down a couple twenties. "I got hers," he said. "Oh, you don't have to..." He shrugged. "Don't worry about it." "Thanks."

Maggie hugged Holly and then laced her fingers with the Asian guy's. "Holly, this is Glenn. Glenn, Holly." They shook hands. "And that's Daryl," Maggie told him. He held his hand out and Daryl shook it. Shawn came over and glared at Daryl as he hugged Holly. Travis and a couple of the guys from work came over while Erica eyed Daryl from her seat at the bar. "Well, well, look at you, Dixon. Get all pretty to impress Holly?" Daryl forced himself to stay calm. "Travis, leave him alone. God, why are you such a dick?" The others laughed. Daryl smirked. "Aw, come on, Holly. I'm just kiddin' with 'im. What's a catch like you doin' with this guy anyway? Don't you know you should be with a real man?" "Oh, what like your lazy ass? No, thanks. I'll pass." Travis put his hand over his heart and pulled a sad face. "Breaks my heart, Holly. I bet if you got with me you'd never wanna leave Wyatt again," he said. "In all seriousness, Travis, what happened to that girl you were talkin' to in Gainesville?" He took a swig of beer and frowned. "She was married," he said. "Oh shit. I'm sorry." She hugged him and he shrugged. "Whatever. Doesn't matter." "Hey, you'll find someone."

Holly went back to her drink while she talked with Maggie and her boyfriend. Travis and the other guys went to play pool. Maggie ordered another drink and Glenn excused himself to go to the bathroom. Holly touched Daryl's arm. "You can play pool with the guys if you want. I'm sorry if you're bored." He shook his head. "I'm okay. I don't remember their names anyway." "Oh, the short stocky guy with the buzz cut is Paul. The tall, kinda wiry one in the blue hat is my cousin's husband Tyler. And the guy in the cargo shorts is Marcus." Daryl nodded, trying to remember which department each one was in. He was pretty sure Paul was a painter, but he couldn't remember about the other two.

Holly ordered another spritzer when she finished off the first one. Daryl stood close to her, listening to the conversation, occasionally being pulled in. He ignored the glares that Shawn shot him. "We should all get together sometime for dinner or somethin'," Holly suggested. "How about Tuesdy night? Glenn's leavin' to go back to Atlanta on Wednesdy." "That works for me. Y'all can come by my place if you want or we can meet up somewhere. Not many options. It's either the diner or Drive-Thru Road. But like I said, I'd be willin' to cook." "Are you sure?" Maggie asked. "Of course. I love havin' y'all over! I can make lasagna or somethin'." Maggie looked at Glenn. "Sounds great. I love lasagna." Holly clapped her hands. "Yay!" She looked over at Daryl. "You wanna come?" He bit his lip. "Yeah, sure." She smiled. "Great. Lasagna it is. Shawn?" "Count me out. Your cat hates me." Holly frowned. "He's indifferent towards you. There's a difference. He only freaks out when you hug me." Shawn rolled his eyes and huffed. "Be that way, then." She turned to Maggie. "I'm really excited." "Should I bring anything?" Maggie asked. "I got it covered," Holly told her.

Holly's cheeks were pink after a few more of those spritzer things. Maggie was feeling pretty good too. "I should get her home," Glenn said. Daryl nodded. Holly jumped up out of her chair. She hugged Maggie. "Bye, Maggie. I'll see you Tuesdy." "Yes! Food! I love you!" "I love you too, oh my God! You're so pretty and awesome!" Maggie laughed. "I think _you're_   pretty and awesome!" Holly turned to Glenn. To his surprise she hugged him. "It was so nice to meet you, Glenn, and I'm really excited to make you lasagna. I hope you like it. I made Daryl some empanadas but I don't think he liked them. Anyway, you be careful, okay, and I think we're gonna be really good friends." Glenn chuckled and pat her on the back. "I'll see you soon," he said. He waved as he led Maggie out the door.

Holly went and stood by Daryl. "You ready to go?" Daryl asked her. "You hated my empanadas," she slurred accusingly. He almost smiled. "No, I didn't. Why do you think that?" She put her hands on her hips, which Daryl noticed she did often. "'Cause you didn't make foodgasm sounds." He shook his head. "They were really good, Holly," he told her. She tapped her toes impatiently. "Well, maybe you'll like my lasagna better. I just wanna give you orgasms," she said. Daryl's eyes got big. "What?" She ignored him and slapped some money down on the counter. "One last spritzer, Matty, and then I swanney I'm done." He smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, last one, then _I'm_   cuttin' you off, kid." She thanked him as he handed her the drink and then downed it way too fast. She looked like she was about to be sick.

Daryl got her into a chair. She swayed a little and groaned. He put his hands on her shoulders to stabilize her. "Hey, look at me. Are you okay?" She put her clammy forehead to his. "Daryl Dixon," she whispered, "you are fucking beautiful." He was going to laugh but she kissed his nose and he forgot how to breathe. She closed her eyes. "Holly Morrison," Daryl whispered, "you are fucking drunk." He sighed. Tyler came over to check on Holly. "She okay?" he asked. Daryl nodded. "I think so. Just drunk of her ass. I'm gonna get her outta here." "Need help?" Tyler offered. "If you can get the door, I can carry her to my truck," he told him. Tyler hurried off to get the door while Daryl picked Holly up bridal style and carried her out of the bar. "Thanks, man," Daryl grunted. "No problem. Drive safe." Daryl carried her to the truck and set her down gently to open the door. She was whimpering and making little noises so Daryl assumed she hadn't passed out or fallen asleep.

He lifted her up and sat her down in the passenger's seat. She swayed a little but he steadied her and then fumbled with the seatbelt until he heard it click. Holly gently ran her hand through his hair as he was pulling away. "Hey," she said quietly. "Yeah?" "You're, like, really amazing," she muttered. Her eyes were barely open but he could see how glassy they were and her eyebrows were pushed together as though she were concentrating really hard. "What makes you say that?" he asked, thinking ' _alcohol_.' "Listen, if Giuseppe likes you, you're definitely amazing. Plus, I just think you're really cute." He chuckled. "Yeah?" She nodded. "Mmhmm. The whole shy thing really gets me. And I like your beard." "Okay, well, I'm gonna get in and drive you home, okay?" He started to move but she grabbed his hand.

"Do you like me?" she asked. "What?" "Do you like me?" Daryl was at a loss for words. First of all, what did she even mean by that? Second, would she remember this later? Third, he did like her. He liked her very much. But should he really tell her that? "Yeah, you're great," he told her. She shook her head. "No, no, no. Do you _like_   me?" Well that answered question number one. "Holly, you're drunk and I should really take you home. You don't know what you're saying." She frowned. "So you don't like me." He sighed. "That ain't what I said at all." She stared at him with her pink cheeks and glassy eyes. He ran his hand down his face. "Yeah, I like you," he admitted, hoping she'd forget. "So kiss me," she said. "No." She huffed. "Why not?" "Because you're drunk and I won't take advantage of you and because we've only known each other a few weeks." She rolled her eyes. "We grew up in Wyatt, we've known each other forever. Just one kiss." Daryl had enough experience with drunk people to figure out how to get out of this. "I'll tell you what. I'll take you home, I'll put you to bed, and I'll give you a goodnight kiss, okay? But you gotta let me get you home safe first." She thought for a second. "Okay," she said.

Daryl shut the passenger side door and went around to get into the truck. Holly hummed random songs all the way back to her apartment, making Daryl smile. She was kind of adorable when she was drunk. He pulled into the parking lot of her apartment and went around to get her out. "Can you walk?" he asked, more than willing to carry her up the stairs if she needed him to. "I can walk," she said. She stumbled a bit but she made it up the stairs without much help. She dug around for her keys and slowly unlocked the door. "Alrighty, then. Let's go to bed," she giggled. Daryl chuckled. "I said I'd put you to bed, not that I'd sleep here." She pouted for a second, and then her eyes got big and her eyebrows scrunched together. She took off down the hall and Daryl followed, closing the door behind him. He found her with the bathroom door open as she slumped over the toilet. She hadn't puked yet, only dry heaved. Daryl bent down beside her and pulled her hair away from her face.

She gagged again and there it was. She started crying as she wiped her mouth. "It's okay," he told her quietly, rubbing her back. "Better to get it all out." She sniffled. "So gross." She heaved again and Daryl wondered if maybe he _should_   stay just to make sure she was alright. Giuseppe poked his head into the room and looked at Holly with concern. "It's okay, Giuseppe. Your mama had a little too much to drink," Daryl said, immediately feeling stupid for talking to a cat. Holly cried harder. "What? What's wrong?" She shook her head and sobbed. "You're so sweet! Talkin' to Giuseppe and makin' sure I'm okay!" she wailed between sobs. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess!" Daryl smiled. "It's okay." The sobbing was a bad idea. It made her puke again. When Holly had calmed down and finished throwing up, Daryl helped her get some mouth wash. Then he helped her over to her bedroom.

It wasn't very big and it was painted the same neutral color as the rest of the apartment. A double bed was in the center, to the right was the closet, and to the left was a window. Holly unbuttoned her shorts and pulled them off before Daryl even had time to think. He tried to look away but it was too late. She was wearing a teeny tiny pair of lacy black panties. He felt his neck and cheeks getting warm. Holly didn't seem to think anything of it. She crawled into her bed and curled up in a ball. "Stay," she whimpered. Daryl wanted to say no. He really tried to. But the way she looked at him made it impossible. He took off his shoes and told himself he'd only stay until she fell asleep and then he'd sneak out.

"Talk to me," Holly sighed, snuggling into his side. Daryl wasn't really sure what to do. No girl had cuddled up to him like this since Brandi. All but one of the women he'd slept with since Brandi, and there had only been three, had been flings from out of town women who weren't really interested in relationships. If he was being honest he kind of had a type, and his type was ambitious women with big dreams who would inevitably leave him to pursue those dreams. All the women he'd been with so far, though, hadn't yet realized their dreams. But Holly wasn't like them. She seemed to have already lived a thousand lives and she was only getting started. Daryl knew who he was and where he belonged. Holly was simply out of his league and he'd always known that.

Holly lifted his arm and put it around her so she could lay her head on his chest. "You awake?" she asked. "Hmm? Oh, yeah." "Talk to me," she repeated. Daryl chewed his lip. "I don't know what to say," he told her. Holly nuzzled her face into Daryl's shoulder and sighed, a small smile playing at her lips. "Doesn't matter. Tell me a something I don't already know about you." Daryl half-smiled and chortled. "Hmm. Well..." Giuseppe launched himself up onto the bed and curled up between Daryl and Holly, purring softly. "I like cats," Daryl told her. "Really? Better than dogs?" Daryl nodded. "Mmhmm." "What else?" Daryl chewed his bottom lip while he thought. "Um, my favorite color is blue," he said. Holly grinned. "It used to be green but it changed a few weeks ago." "I like green," Holly said. "Yeah?" She nodded.

Holly started humming again and Daryl felt an odd squirming sensation in his stomach. It was like the feeling you get when you walk down a flight of stairs and you miss a step. His stomach tied itself in knots and his heart beat a little faster in his chest. He suddenly realized she had stopped humming. "You awake?" he whispered. "Sing me a song," Holly replied sleepily. Daryl laughed. "You don't want to hear me sing," he told her. "Yes, I do." He sighed. "I promise you, you really don't." She huffed. "Daryl, please!" she begged, and he knew he was in trouble. "What's your favorite song?" he asked. "I have too many," she replied. Daryl chewed his lip. "Okay, but if I sing for you, you owe me big time." Holly nodded. Daryl took a deep breath and silently prayed Holly would fall asleep soon.

_"There's a little moonlight_  
 _Dancin' on the sand_  
 _There's a warm breeze blowin' by the ocean as you're takin' my hand_  
 _You need to know_  
 _Where I'm standin' now_  
 _That I'm right on the edge of givin' into ya_  
 _Baby it's a long way down_

_If I fall can you let me down easy?_  
 _If I leave my heart with you tonight_  
 _Will you promise me that you're gonna treat it right?_  
 _I'm barely hangin' on_  
 _If I fall can you let me down easy?"_

Holly sighed and adjusted herself so that she was as close as she could possibly get to Daryl without being on top of him. Daryl grinned a little in spite of himself as he felt his eyelids getting heavier.

_"The scent of your perfume_  
 _Floatin' in the air_  
 _You're lookin' like an angel lyin' on a blanket with a halo of hair_  
 _And those lips_  
 _Look too good to be true_  
 _Once I taste that kiss, I know what'll happen, I'll be at the mercy of you..."_

Daryl's head felt too heavy to lift and he was mumbling the words now. He stopped singing and listened to Holly's breathing as they both fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this took roughly a thousand years to come out but I just wasn't happy with it and I don't want to post shitty chapters that I hate. So. There ya go. The song I used in this chapter is "Let Me Down Easy" by Billy Currington. Look it up on YouTube. :) Obviously I have no rights to the song or anything. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


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